Crono's Heart Trigger
by UnbalancedNinja
Summary: Lucca was always jealous of Marle, Nadia, whatever that girl's name was. Stupid drop-dead gorgeous princess. How could some random blond he bumped into during the fair become so attached so quick? "Do you want to play with fire, Crono? Do you?"
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Here's my third fanfic! I'm actually trying a real romance since I've had some elements in Escaflowne and Avatar the Last Airbender. Spoiler warning: If you haven't played the game or at least don't know anything about the plot/storyline, much of this fiction won't make any sense to you. This is a CLEAN romance, although there are some sensual situations. There are a few violent scenes in the beginning for a background recap, but nothing *too* major. Anyways, here it is!

Also, I tried to fix a few errors and did some page breaks to make the story flow better. There are a lot of breaks in the first chapter from how I have Lucca's memories jump back and forth, so I think it's not too much... Hope it helps! o_O

Disclaimer: Chrono Trigger is owned by Square Enix, and I have no rights to it whatsoever. This is merely a fan based story, and nothing more.

* * *

**Chapter One**

Lucca was always jealous of Marle, Nadia, whatever that girl's name was. Stupid drop-dead gorgeous princess. She wasn't the one who grew up with him, for crying out loud! How could some random blond he bumped into during the fair become so attached so quick? And how could _he_ even fall for some stranger? That Marle... She probably entranced Crono the very second that he laid eyes on her.

Lucca threw her hands into the air, and then shoved her science books off her bed in frustration. In a way, it was sort of _her_ fault that Crono even met that clichéd blond haired, hot-bodied, blue eyed charmer. If she hadn't told him to check out her latest invention, he probably wouldn't have helped Marle up after knocking her down; catching that seductive and mischievous look in her eyes. Or maybe he had caught something _else_.

A teleportation device? How absurd! It wasn't that much of a big deal, to begin with, really. Well, the idea of it was huge, that much was for sure, but what did it do? Zap somebody from one transfer pod to the next a good 10 or 15 feet away. Pathetic! You could have walked that distance before the crazy thing even booted up! True, it was still a prototype, and all great inventions need to start somewhere, but Marle didn't really help things. Her pendant caused a strange reaction at the time, before they knew the history behind it, and that flung that babe into another time. Yeah, they all had one amazing adventure because of that mishap, and even made new friends, but it was so odd how Crono just rushed into the portal to ''save'' her or whatever he was thinking. She betted that Crono somehow felt obligated or such nonsense to chase after her; a girl he hardly even knew.

Although he did that without a second thought, Lucca couldn't forget the wonderful times that they all shared together. There were new friendships made, new abilities acquired, and new dangers they had to face. Lucca bent down to pick up one of her books off the floor, but one memory of those dangers forced itself back into her mind, making her grip her chest, spreading goosebumps all over her skin.

* * *

"Crono! No! Stop!" Marle cried out, reaching her already bleeding arm towards him, trying to inch herself forward and rise on her feet. "Crono! You're going to get yourself killed! Quit it!" Lucca's scream followed, hardly able to move her own damaged body.

Crono, shielding Lavos' energy from his two friends, refused to look behind him. His body was already battle-worn, hence the need of his friends' concern, but there was obviously much more. His katana had already been shattered from his previous attack; which is what caused their current life-threatening status. Marle and Lucca were brutally hurt, as he remembered their blood pooling in a small puddle underneath them once he stood back onto his feet, recovering from the blast.

Lavos' horrendous mouth was gaping wide, creating a small vacuum sucking them all into it very slowly. He was about to break; body, mind, and soul. His unique magic that was holding him together, also defended Marle and Lucca, and he couldn't hold out much longer. Crono knew that he stood no chance; that he'd die, but he had no choice but to expend the last of his resources if he wanted to save his friends. It was either this, or having all three of them die. Through his pain and bleeding skin, he smiled knowing that Lucca would never forgive him if he let her die.

As for Marle, and for some unknown reason, he always wanted her to be safe. He wanted to be there, in that safe place too, but not everything in life happens the way one would want. He was falling in love with her, which was kind of funny because of how they met, and how her father tried to behead him. The energy around Lavos and himself, mixed in with his own magic, cut deep into his body; slicing at the bone. He had to do something now, or else it would all be lost. A single, sorrowful tear ran down his cheek, as he released his spirit into Marle's necklace, transporting her and Lucca to safety. Before his body crumbled into dust, he could hear the final screams of both his friends.

"Crono! No! Don't leave me! DON'T LEAVE ME!" came the heart-breaking command from Marle. Not being able to comprehend his passing, and how illogical it seemed, Lucca's voice echoed after Marle's. "Crono!"

* * *

Lucca's tears stained the pages of her open book, as she finished reading the painful memory in her mind. How long had it been since then? Three years? It took them so long to get Crono back, and during those excrutionating days, she would have probably give up hope if not for Robo. Her tears masked a slight smile on her face, recalling how he helped her through her crisis.

* * *

"What's wrong, Lucca? Is this emotion... sadness?" Robo asked her. Lucca sat still, _very_ still, eyes wide open looking inside her small hut. Marle's pendant, or rather, Crono's spirit inside of it, had guided them here. Before Robo joined back up with them, he along with Ayla and Frog all witnessed Crono's demise, viewing from their waiting place at the End of Time. Robo asked the Guru to take Crono's place, because he was concerned (as much a robot could be) for Lucca. When Lucca opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was his sensors. She was inside a small hut lighted by a small fire, surrounded by a small village back onto the frozen tundra. She realized that she was on the surface with the Earthbound Ones, and they had nursed her back to health, but it didn't really click until she saw Marle on the other bed; still sleeping.

"Robo?" she asked, dazed and still feeling the hurt of her healing injuries. Why was Robo here? Wasn't Crono with them? "Crono!" Marle jumped out of bed and exclaimed. The shock hit Lucca like she had fallen off a cliff, and then surviving the landing. Her face turned pale with worry, and arms began to tremble.

"What's wrong, Lucca? Is this emotion... sadness?" Her response was vacant, falling into an unnoticed trance by the fire. Marle was frantic, screaming at the top of her lungs Crono's name over and over in a desperate and agonizing voice. Lucca hid herself in a quiet place in her mind; shutting out Marle's screams, and her own inside her heart. Nothing existed here, it was the only place she could feel at peace. When a tear fell from her eye, it awoke her to see Robo, still waiting for an answer.

"Yes..." she told him, regretfully remembering his question.  
"Lucca, it feels like my battery has been drained. Is it something like that?"  
"Yes, Robo. It's _exactly_ like that."

Marle had ran outside by now; she needed to find Crono. She loved him, she couldn't lose him. Lucca watched as the princess bolted out of the tent, bounding off into nowhere. She wouldn't be able to get very far, but it was no use trying to tell her. Lucca was left alone with Robo, and although he still couldn't quite get all of a human's emotions, he was somehow connected to Lucca's.

"Lucca, my memory still hasn't been deleted from when you put me back together. To equal myself to a human, I would have been considered dead."  
"Robo..." Lucca said, staring off into the distance.  
"But, you didn't give up on me, you worked night after night trying to rebuild me, finally rebooting my system. You gave me new life, Lucca."  
"I know..."  
"Lucca, don't give up on Crono. Don't shut down. We'll find him, and we'll reboot him as well, okay?"

She was surprised that she was actually being consoled by a robot, and by one that had her emotions pegged. She was crying then, resting her head on Robo's metallic shoulder. She wanted to stop crying, but she was happy that her friend was able to help her. As she sniffled and raised her head to smile at Robo, she noticed black oil leaking out of his ocular sensors. Could robots cry, too?

* * *

Lucca wiped away her tears with her short-sleeved purple shirt, and set her books back onto the bed. Too bad those were the _only_ things she'd ever have on her bed. The memory that followed was both joyful and sad at the same time, despite obvious flawed contradictions.

* * *

They had made their way atop Death Peak with the Chrono Trigger Egg in hand, and once Crono was spirited back, Marle was the first to greet him. More accurately, she threw herself onto him; unable to stop feeling him as she gave a long and pleasurable kiss. Yeah, sure Lucca was excited that her childhood friend was revived, ''rebooted,'' as Robo had put it, but she wasn't able to delete that pesky virus that was now infecting his lips and skin.

_She_ wanted to be the one to kiss him! She wanted it so deeply, so passionately, so much so that her entire whole yearned for it. She wanted to be the one touching him, not Marle. She wanted to feel his strong chest, to slowly move her fingers up his muscles until she reached his neck, where she would then insert her mouth into his and keep it there as long as nature would allow. On the contrary, Marle was the one doing all of those, and she was still at it! Her hands felt freely around him faster and faster after every kiss, and Lucca thought that she'd actually witness them give birth to the next generation right then and there.

Their friction heat in the biting cold was burning up, only making the passion more furious, as Crono pushed her onto the snowy ground, laying on top of her. The two of them stared at each other, without making a sound or moving. Lucca became upset; she knew what was going on from Marle's shifting eyes, and from his. She knew _exactly_ what Crono was looking at. That fine-featured face, that incredibly smooth and fair skin, and those... Well, yeah. _Those._

"What are you waiting for, Crono?" Marle said with a wicked grin.

"He's waiting for ME!" Lucca shouted in her mind, almost ready to literally kick Marle off the cliff. No, she wouldn't do that. Those two were good friends, but when it came to Crono, Lucca stood no chance against someone that fine. And so, she would only fight her in her dreams and thoughts, but even in there, she'd always lose.

Thankfully to her benefit, the storms came back on the mountain once the residual energy from the Egg had gone away. They used the Gate Key to return back to the Guru, and many things happened from there. In the end, they defeated Lavos, and changed the world's history. That was three years ago, but nothing could have prepared her for what happened two years after their return.

* * *

"I'm getting married, Lucca," Crono said.  
"What? To who? Marle?" _Of course! _her thoughts began to race.  
"Well, yeah. Who else, Lucca?"

_Me, you idiot! Me!_

"I haven't even told her, yet. You're my closest and longest friend, so I wanted you to know first."

_She doesn't know? Kiss him, Lucca! Kiss him! There's still time! No ring, no contract! Come on, girl. Just one burning kiss will make him forget all about that Ice Princess. Fire does burn ice, after all. Pure science!_

"Lucca? Are you okay?" Crono asked, looking his friend over. She blushed and turned her head away.  
"Yeah..."  
"Lucca, I thought you'd be happy! We always supported each other. Aren't you glad?"  
"What? Yes! You know that I am! I just can't understand why you'd tell me first, rather than her."  
"Because you girls scare me!" Crono said, rather boyish.

"Oh?" she said, raising an eyebrow in a playful manner, "So you're confiding in one, then? A girl that the mighty Crono is scared of? That's a logical fallacy." She finished the sentence with a friendly smile, and scooted closer to him on the bench overlooking the glistening ocean. _Yeah, but so is love, Lucca..._

Now Crono was the one blushing, as she moved even closer to him and touched his hand with hers.

_You want to play with fire, Crono?_

"So," Lucca said, breaking the now awkward silence, "Have you two...well...err...you know..."  
"Had sex?"  
Her face turned bright red. "You don't need to say it so bluntly!"  
"Heh, you asked it, Lucca."  
"Well? Have you?"

"She's tried, and believe me, she really has. It's almost impossible to resist someone like her, too."  
"Yeah, I bet..." Lucca said softly under her breath.  
"Well, no. We haven't. I told her that I wanted to save something like that for marriage, that it'd mean so much more."

_No way! I don't believe it! Here's my chance! But, no, wait... Crono's my best friend, I'm pretty close to Marle, too. I can't just betray her like that. But still... I'm kinda feeling..._

Her hand, still on his like back in their childhood days, found its way inbetween his fingers, locking them together with a very firm grasp. It was one of those holds that screamed out in desperation, "No! Don't leave! Don't go! I'm here! Right now! Look at me!"

_Do you want to play with fire, Crono?_ she thought to herself again. A dangerous thought, she knew, but it didn't mean that she'd be the one getting burned. This type of thinking was strange for her; she was acting like Marle in a way. Perhaps her jealously of that woman caused her to adopt some of her mannerisms. Were these really her deepest and darkest desires now rising to the surface? Possibly, she always had those certain fantasies with this man. In fact, his getting married kind of made them burn even greater and higher.

She was a scientist! Not a seductress! Or even some love-struck dimwit! What was she really feeling, and did this mean that even the shyest and quietest girl could switch herself to the direct opposite? And then fling herself into it full-force without any type of limitation or reservation only because the thrill of something foreign and new ignited a brushfire? More like an explosion; he bent his fingers with hers and gave a genuine smile.

"Eep! What are you doing?" she panicked, only making her hold tighter.  
"You grabbed it first, Lucca. It reminds me of our past as two little kids having fun."  
"Crono... we're not _that_ old! We're only 18! Stop acting like such an old man!" _No, please. Tell me more.  
_"Ha. Remember when we used to sit in your room and I'd watch you build your inventions? And then I'd laugh at you when they blew up in your face."  
"Yeah, I know. I hated you for that." _But it also kept me going. Even at that young age, I really wanted to impress you. You were the only boy who ever came to visit.  
_"So, when's the wedding date, Crono?"

_Do you want to play with fire? Want to? Want to? You know you do. Just light a match, and I'm yours._

"I'll tell her tomorrow. She'd probably want to get married within the week after that."

_There's still time, Crono. You'd better stoke this flame before it goes out. Still burning hot._

"Oh, so in a few days then, right?" her voice trailed off, depressed. Crono ignored her emotion, believing that it was still taking a while for the news to break in.  
"Hey, Crono? You love her, yeah? I mean like, really, really love _her_? Not just the way she looks?"

"Yeah, I love all of her, Lucca. The way she looks, the way she talks, the part of her that makes me feel so worthless compared to her... I can look into her soul, and see her for who she really is. I can see all of her. Well, not just yet." Crono smiled and brought his punkish attitude back into place. "I'll have to wait for the wedding to see the rest."

"Crono! You... Did you ever want to see _me_ in that way?"  
"Hmm? I did, once," he said with a slight chuckle. "Probably why we're so close."  
"No fair! Doesn't count! We were only 2 when our moms put us in those baths!"

"Well, nothing much has changed, has it Lucca?" Crono laughed and pointed to her torso in friendly jest. Lucca nearly pushed him off the cliff for that, but settled down, even though her red face was still showing. "That's not what I meant, Crono!"

"Then what did you–" She cut his words as her forehead met with his. "I meant now. Today." She ran her fingers through his chaotic red hair and then gave him a slight kiss on his lips, teasing the moment. Crono, stunned by her sudden request and action, and how it was so unlike her, was struck speechless at first, until Marle's face came into his mind's eye. He pushed Lucca away gently, and stood up.

"Hey, Lucca. You're coming to the wedding, right?" he said, turning his back to her.

Lucca, still red with embarrassment and passion, actually choked once or twice before she spoke her next sentence.

"You know I will. I've always supported you. Always will."  
"Glad to hear it. I should leave now, Marle's probably destroying the castle trying to find me."  
"Yeah, go." _And thanks for completely avoiding the question, Crono! Gah!_

She watched him fade away into the distance, and her vision came back to present day, still wiping those tears away. It had been a year since he told her that, and they never spoke of her little outburst since. Had he forgotten about it? Or did he just not want to see her second-place body? Whatever it was, he acted like it had never happened. Marle probably distracted him from that thought anyways, with all of her charm. Any guy would be foolish to give up some girl like her for a lesser scientist.

Marle had the goods, and had _a lot_ of them, but Lucca had the genius! Didn't that ever mean anything anymore? You never hear about the hero in storybooks taking a nerdy, four-eyed girl into his arms. No, they were usually blond, not brunette like her, and of course, they always displayed all of those other features...

* * *

"I haven't seen you in a while, Crono, but you're still the only boy who ever comes to visit. Maybe next time, we could spend the night together like we always used to a long time ago."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Crono!" Marle shouted.

Crono, half-dressed from the previous night, rolled out of bed, hitting his face on the floor. "Eh?"

Marle, who was still on their white and regal bed, gave him a seductive look in her matching colored nightdress. At that, he crawled back onto the bed and tried to understand why she'd wake him up. "Why did you wake me, Marle? Everything okay?"

"I think so? You were pretty distant last night, Crono. Like... you weren't even trying. Something's on your mind."  
"It's nothing big, Marle. You don't need to fear."

She shoved Crono onto the pillow and ran her hand up and down his bare chest. "You're not getting away with that answer, Crono. You promised me when you came back that you'd never hide anything from me. I expect you to keep that promise, and I'll force those words out of your mouth somehow, stud." Marle gave Crono a kiss, and he returned it with surprising ferocity. Afterwards, Marle ran her fingers through his hair.

"That was sexy, but still hasn't answered my question. I don't care how good a kisser you are, you're not getting away from this."  
"It's Lucca..." he said, reluctantly.  
"What?" she screeched, becoming very angry. "Her? That flat-chested four-eyed geek? Why are you thinking about her when you have _me?_"  
"She's not _that_ flat-chested..." Crono said stupidly, trying to defend his childhood friend.

"Oh? And you'd know this, because...?" Marle asked, now tapping her fingers on the wooden night-stand.

"Whoa! No, no, no! Nothing like that, Marle! Honest! You're the girl I love; you're the girl I married. I wouldn't want anyone else in my bed."  
"Well, technically, it's _my_ bed, being in the castle and all..."  
"Marle, why did you call her that? She's your friend, too. A rather close one, I might add."  
"I don't know, sorry. She really is a good friend. How long has it been?"  
"Been for what?"  
"When you last saw her?"  
"Hmm, I don't know. Maybe a month ago? Your father has me very busy, and well,"

"Yeah?"

"You have your share of work, too." Crono grinned, but that earned him a light tap on the head from Marle's palm.  
"I'm sure she's just fine, Crono. You don't need to worry about her," Marle said, a bit nervous as to why he was thinking about Lucca in the first place.  
"Yeah, you're probably right, but she is my best friend. I should go see her every so often. She isn't that far away."  
"No...not really... I want you to stay here. With me."

"Marle, you never cared about the previous times I saw her."  
"Yeah because I was usually there!"  
"Marle, you're acting unnaturally jealous and possessive right about now."

"So what if I am? I'm never losing you again, Crono! That pain is still there! Always makes my heart stop..." she said with tears, recalling the wretched event.  
"I don't even remember it," he said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. Angered, Marle slapped him hard across the face because he didn't understand the weight of his words.

"Of course you don't!" she screamed, now pounding his chest as they still sat in the bed. "We went back and saved you before it even happened! We spent such a long time trying to get you back, Crono! You just don't understand!"

"So, technically, I never died?" he asked her, somehow thinking that'd help his conversation.

"Yes you did! It hurt a lot! I never, ever, ever want to see you be killed in front of me again! Got it?" Her voice hiccuped, and her eyes, already flowing with tears, poured out more. Crono sighed, and touched her right cheek. "I'm here right now, aren't I?"

"You better keep it that way! That was the worst possible thing that you could have ever done to me!"

After taking a deep breath and still being on top of him, she positioned herself closer to his chest and he complimented her by caressing her arms; stimulating her and making her tense. "Crono..."

"Marle, just shut up. It's fine, okay? I can't ever leave you, I don't want to." She smirked and touched his cheek. "Don't ever tell me to shut up, Crono. That punk attitude of yours you sometimes decide to show can really annoy me."

"Blah, blah, blah, Marle. I know you love it."  
"More than you'll ever know," she said, falling to his side.  
"I want you to stay in here with me the rest of the day, Crono, but Daddy has a long day ahead of you. You better get ready. Next time, I won't wake you up."

* * *

Crono's mind was riddled with questions as he walked through the Guardia Forest, watching as the birds flew across the branches under the sunlight breaking through the leaves. He thought about Lucca before, sure, she was his lifetime friend, but why did this time feel so different? He had put off his duties for the day to walk towards her house; without Marle's knowledge. He didn't need her ''permission'' to meet up with a friend, especially one as close as Lucca. As he exited the shaded woods, the day's blinding sun had him squint and shelter his eyes with his hand. It was unusually bright today, which was fine, it carried a lovely scent in the air, but it'd be pretty easy for Marle to spot him if she ever looked out the window; assuming she was able to see past her family's forest. With his luck, she'd completely misunderstand his reasoning.

That woman, as much as he deeply loved her, had become a little irritating; seeing how possessive she was getting. Not to say that he didn't love her any less, but sometimes a husband just needs to get out on his own. Relatively speaking, of course. Even by himself, Marle was constantly on his mind. It was literally impossible to not think of her every single day. Her anatomy, her personality, just her everything. Those intimate nights they shared always made their bonds stronger. And where physical intimacy was always important and enjoyed, he would discover that more often than naught, their strong bonds were also built by simple every day things. Emotionally, spiritually, and many other dimensions. Sex wasn't the apex of love, or the final checkpoint, marriage was; and through it came the most beautiful thing he could ever know.

Crono almost walked into a large oak tree outside the forest, having his mind filled with other thoughts, and rolled his eyes with a deep sigh. He ''snuck'' out of the castle to see Lucca today, that's why he was here, but as much as he wanted to, Marle's words hindered him from the act as he stopped in his tracks, overlooking his friend's house near the forest's clearing.

"_I'm sure she's just fine, Crono. You don't need to worry about her."_

"I'm not ''worrying'' Marle, I just want to see a lifelong friend. Nothing wrong with that, you know," he said to himself, but still unmoving from his position. "Honestly, girl..."

Looking back into the forest to see a very slight hint of the castle's stoned walls hidden behind the shadows of trees, he took one step towards it, but then turned around and faced his back to the magnificent structure.

"Marle, you can kill me later if you wish. I owe Lucca a visit after all this time, and after all those years we've grown up together."

He stepped towards Lucca's house with a smile on his face; excited to reconnect with such a dear friend. He wondered what she had been up to all this time, and how many inventions that had exploded in her face. He caught himself still laughing at that, he could never stop. On his way, he passed the fair that was now empty; no special event was taking place any time soon. He used to walk those aisles with Lucca until he met Marle and after that, his whole world was quite literally changed. Those pleasant memories crept back into his mind and he found himself tapping his forehead, trying to refocus himself. Maybe all three of them would visit that fair in the near future, and all enjoy the many memories shared and felt.

A few more steps and now he was at her door, and if he had doubted for a second that this was the right house, a muffled explosion followed by a, "Nyaah!" was heard inside the building, with black smoke rising from the chimney. Yep, another one of her inventions had just failed. Too bad he wasn't there to make fun of her this time. "Lucca, I'm going to get in trouble for this anyways, might as well knock on the door."

Lucca heard a sound outside after her latest experiment decided to blow up on her, and she stuck her fingers in her ears, as if to rub out any remaining debris. _Knock. Knock. _There it was again, who was it? Person had lousy timing, that was certain. She was all covered in smoke and dust now, and it made her look like she had just jumped into a big pile of ash. Well, she should just answer the door regardless, it's not like anyone ever cared about how she looked aside from her family anyways. _Knock Knock._

"Okay! Okay! I'm coming! What's with you? Give a girl a minute, alright?"

Crono waited ''patiently'' for Lucca to answer the door and he thought about knocking again; making the loudest sound he could think of just to irritate her. Just when he was about to try again, the door opened, and revealed what looked like a charred young woman standing in front of him. "Lucca? Haha! Oh man, what happened this time?" he said, jesting with a wide smile and hearty laugh.

"C-C-Crono?" Lucca responded with a shriek in her voice and widened eyes.  
"Hey there! What's been going on? Long time, huh?"  
"It hasn't been that long, Crono. Only about a month." _No, don't listen to me, Crono. It's been ages!  
_"Really? Well, if you don't think it's that big a deal, I can turn around and visit you another time," he said smiling.

Before she could even say a word, her body spoke out for her. Her hand reached out to his without any type of thought; basically crying out, "No! Don't leave me!" Her clutch was tighter than she expected once she noticed what was going on, and Crono's face told her that he was confused. She let go, and her arm slowly returned down to her side. "Crono," she finally said, turning her head away to hide the blush, "You want to come in?"

"Is it safe?" he asked, pointing to her blackened clothing and the smoldering pile of junk that was still behind her.  
"Eh? Oh, that... Yeah, don't worry. The dangerous part has already happened."

"Lucca, everything you do usually has a dangerous part to it," he told her, now jabbing her with his elbow. She almost locked arms with him right then and there, but forcefully held herself back, he _was_ married, after all.

"So, Crono... What's new?" she asked, actually blushing.  
"Same as always, I think. The king wants me to take over his crown someday, and he's putting me through all the hassles to obtain it; Marle included. She can be pretty rough!"  
"Yeah, in more ways than one, I bet..." Lucca said under her breath.  
"What was that?" Crono asked confused.  
"Oh, nothing. Nothing. I was just agreeing with you. So, you coming in, or what?"

Crono followed her inside and made a slight chuckle about her house's decor. "Lucca, it's nice to see that your house always has wires and gadgets all over the floor," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, well if you keep making fun of my work, I won't care if you trip over one of them."  
"So, Lucca, it's been a while. I'm practically taking the whole day off. What do you want to do?"  
"What? You're the one who came over here! You should give me some notice or something!" _No way, Crono. That was pretty hot, what you did._

"Oh come on. A busy girl like you can't take time out of her schedule to hang out with her closest friend?" he asked, now poking her ribs. She blushed again and slapped his hand away. "Stop it! You know how much that gets on my nerves!"

"That's why I'm doing it."  
"Crono... You never change. You're still that little punk kid."  
"Ha! You haven't changed much, either, Lucca."  
"So, what do you want?" Lucca snapped. _Do you want to play with fire, Crono? Huh? Do you?  
_"I just need to chill, Lucca. King Guardia and Marle both have me running full speed everywhere. Though it'd be nice to wind down and spend some much needed time with a close friend."

"Just want to talk?"

"For now, yes," he said, sitting on a wooden chair while propping both his legs up on Lucca's dinner table; only to see her eye twitch in frustration.  
"What? I do this all the time!"  
"Not in my house you won't!" Lucca scolded, pushing his muscular legs off the table. She then sat across from him, taking in all of his gorgeous features as her head rested in her palms.  
"Lucca... I know it's been 30 days, but it wasn't like 30 years. Do you _really_ have to look at me like that? It's disturbing. I wasn't gone that long."  
"Crono? I've known you all my life. I'm allowed to look at you any way I want."

"Yeah, but... Not even Marle looks at me that way. Could you tone it down just a tad?"  
"Aww, alright..." Lucca said a little disappointed. _Not even Marle, eh?  
_"Lucca, how's your family? They moved across the bridge to Parepoley Town last year. How are things going for them?"

"Yeah, ever since we went back in time and saved my mother from her paralysis, things have been much different. I never told her how she was before, it's weird how time-travel works, huh? I have the memory of her before and after, but she can't remember ever being in a wheelchair. I couldn't tell Dad, either. Just the thought of it would make him abandon all of his precious work just in case it would happen again. They've been okay, they still come over every now and then, but for the most part it's been lonely and silent."

"Except for the explosions," Crono added with a laugh.  
"Hey! Yeah, except for them. Good thing you're not here when they happen, huh?" she also said with a laugh, but only trying to mask what she was feeling.  
"I've come a few times this past year, Lucca."

"Yeah, but not too often and never too long." _And always with __**her!**_

"I'm here now, aren't I?"  
"Yes, and I'm happy because of it."  
"Oh! Now you say it! You've been acting strange, I was beginning to wonder if I should have come."  
"No, Crono. You're welcome anytime. Day or night. All night."

"What did you say?" Crono asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing! _Crap! It slipped! _Just forget I said it."

"Okay... Say, Lucca, if you're so lonely here, why not move in with us? It's a huge castle and has plenty of room."

Lucca's face flushed with color at even the mere thought of being in the same _room_ as him, much less the _house._ "But...all of my science..." she trailed off.

"You'd have your own room, Lucca. And there's a lot more space at the castle for your stuff than in here. Maybe even a few guards to watch over you, making sure you don't destroy the castle," he winked.

Her heart was racing now, making her hot. Unbeknownst to her, her right foot was tapping and her eyes shifting wildly from side to side. He wanted her in the castle? To live with him? Under the same roof, and sharing the same mornings, afternoons, and evenings with him? That'd make it easier to...

"What about Marle?" she asked, dropping those thoughts.  
"Yeah? What about her?"  
"Her and the king? Will they even let me in? Just waltz right on in there and say, 'Here I am! Where's my room?' Kinda quick, don't you think?"

"Well, you also helped save the world, and you're still regarded with high honor. They even refer to you as Lady Lucca now, despite your hatred for formal titles. And as for Marle, she's your friend! She wouldn't mind it at all! And if so, well... I can always ''persuade'' her," he said giving a wink.

"Crono! Do you always have to say such things so nonchalantly?"  
"Ha! Why not?" he smirked.  
Lucca rolled her eyes and just allowed the topic to drop.

"Lucca, it'd be fun having you in the castle. I've actually wished that you were there a few times. Marle's always there for me, but you're the only one who truly knows me and knows what I've been through. It's always so easy to confide in you."

"Because you're scared of girls, right Crono?" she smiled, remembering their conversation from what seemed like aeons ago.  
"Haha! You'll never let that one go, will you? But yeah, truth be told, I've really missed you. Both of us have, although Marle's become a little obsessive."  
"I don't blame her. You're quite the stud, know? Any girl would want to keep you. I know that I would." _Slipped again! But, whatever Crono. Do you want to keep me, too? I'm yours...  
_"Lucca..." Crono responded, unable to think of any other word.

Taking advantage of the moment, Lucca picked up her chair and moved closer to Crono; so that she could now feel his skin. "Lucca, what are you-" Crono's voice spoke, only to be silenced as Lucca surprised him again by pulling her hands away from his biceps and face.

"Say, Crono... If you had never met Marle, do you think that we would have..." she asked, returning to her shyer self.  
"What are you talking about, Lucca? We've always been close friends."  
"No!" she exclaimed with emotion, "Take the hint, will you? That's not what I'm saying!" _I'm asking if you want to play with fire, Crono. I'm burning up._

"Don't you want to find out? I've always wondered," she continued. She placed her forehead on his and held the sides of his clean-shaven face. Crono remembered this same scene from a year ago, and he tried to pull away.

"Come on, Crono. Let's see how you'd kiss me. Play with fire. Want to know how it feels?"  
"No!" he shouted, pushing her aside. "I _already_ know how it feels! From that stupid stunt you pulled a year ago!"  
"I didn't hear you complain back then, Crono," Lucca said, her voice now becoming more passionate.  
"That's not the point! How could I have? It was so sudden and unexpected!"  
"You didn't care when Marle threw herself on you..."

"She was different!"  
"How so, Crono? She somehow fell in love with you only after 5 minutes of meeting you? I'm your best friend! I've **always** loved you!"  
"Yes, but that was a different kind of love," he said nearly tripping over one of her scattered cords.  
"No...it wasn't... For the longest time, Crono. I've...I've..." she moved closer to him and before he knew it, his back was up against the wall. Lucca braced her hands on the wall behind him, boxing him in.

"Come on, Crono. Just one more kiss, okay? See what it would have been like? I know that I can't take Marle away from you, but... I've always wondered..."

"Lucca..." Crono said, somehow unwillingly breathtaken.

"See? You're thinking about it, too. Don't tell me that you're not. She doesn't have to know. Anything. You never told her the first time, either. One kiss never hurt anybody, and a second is always better. Come on, whaddia say?"

Lucca, for some reason, wasn't acting shy at all. In fact, it was quite obvious that she was now acting the polar opposite. Crono had never seen her in this way before; it was so unusual. From what he always knew, she'd rather hold a book than the hand of a boy.

"What are you waiting for, Crono?" Lucca interrupted his thoughts, "Kiss me, a fire can only burn for so long."

At those words, Crono lowered his eyebrows in a small anger. "It shouldn't be burning at all, Lucca!" Annoyed and very much saddened that his friend would even attempt such a feat, ducked under her right arm to his left, and proceeded to the door with his back turned.

"You're trying to escape the issue again, Crono," Lucca said, thus halting his movement.  
"What?" he said, but refused to look at her.  
"You never said anything back then, kid. What's so different now? I'm not asking for much." _Not yet, anyways._

"Lucca, even a kiss is way too much. I'm married to Marle, that pretty much says it all. I don't like whatever's happening to you, Lucca, I never thought I'd see you like this. You're such a good friend, please don't ruin that for me."

"But I don't want to be your friend!" Lucca proclaimed, making Crono turn around.

"I want to be..." she locked her arms around his neck, "your lover." This time, he couldn't break away. The smell of her perfume brought back hundreds of memories and by the time he cleared them all out of his head, it was too late. She was closing in, and he couldn't get out of the way.

When their lips met, she pushed his head farther into her mouth, heightening her own pleasure. As much she could, anyways; Crono didn't return and he had no idea what was going on. After three seconds, he broke out of the trance and shoved her back. Lucca felt like he had captured her once again, and without even wanting to; which made it hotter. What would it feel like next time, when he actually _did_ kiss her?

Crono's face was red, but Lucca didn't know if he was blushing or enraged; probably even both. He didn't engage in the kiss with her like she had hoped, but he didn't stop it either. Crono took his shirt and wiped his mouth.

"Lucca! What's your problem? I told you no! Same as last time! For a scientist, you've certainly got a very thick skull!"  
"That was some sexy 'no,' Crono," she said batting an eye.  
"You! Stupid girl... Caught me off-guard again..."

"Maybe next time Crono, you'll kiss me back."

"No! There is no 'next time!' I hated that! I don't want you to **ever** do that again! Only Marle can! Get that through your head, already!"  
"If you didn't like it, why'd you let me do it? There was something in there, Crono. You know it."

"You forced me into it, again! Trapped my head so that I couldn't pull away! I couldn't escape your initial contact! By the time I realized, it was already too late! You took advantage over the entire situation! What kind of friend are you?"

"I'm- Whatever you want me to be, Crono. Just say the word. Anything."

"Whatever I-" he paused for a brief second, "I don't want you to be anything other than a true friend! Just like you've always been! I love Marle! I love you, too, but not in the way you want. Lucca, I still can't believe you. Marle was right, I shouldn't have come."

Before Lucca could stop him, he was already out the door. At first, she did feel hurt by his words and what she had done, but after she thought about what happened, she wanted more. And for him to return the next kiss she gave him.

"You've played with fire, Crono. Now... Do you want to see how it burns?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

The next day, Lucca lay on her bed with her eyes staring at the ceiling. The white spinning fan held a rapid pace, trying to cool her down from another sudden hot flash. She was still in the clothing she wore the night before: Loose pants and a tube top. She looked out her window, and noticed the sunlight beaming through her red curtain shades. Morning already? She slowly sat up and put her bare feet on the tiled floor, trying to avoid all of the cords and wires she had scattered around.

With her thoughts still on Crono, she raised a finger to her lips and touched them; his taste was still in her mouth. Did she _really_ do that yesterday? Wasn't she supposed to be a civilized young lady, not a sex-crazed lunatic? Well, yeah. _Supposed_ to be. Who said anything about her actually _wanting_ to stay that way? She knew what she wanted, and why that burning fire in her soul was still lit aflame. She circled her lips again and lowered her hand with a sigh. It wasn't the ecstasy she wanted. Not by a long-shot. Although she had more or less tricked and forced him into it, she still thought he'd return her sentiment. Of course he didn't; he loved Marle. Not her. Well, he sort of did, right? As a friend, sure, but Lucca always wanted more. Needed more.

The kiss was empty, but it was still a kiss. Maybe next time, she'd let him do it; she did feel a little guilty in pulling that stunt. Oh, but guilt felt so good! Almost made her want to throw away all those years of elegant behavior and embrace every emotion that made her boil and burn inside, no matter how irrational it seemed. For that moment, however, all of those perfect lady-like attributes had left her, as she forcefully overtook Crono. It was true that throughout the years she had made a few strides away from those morals she held dear but for the most part, she was always that innocent, well-educated, proper young lady.

Elegance had nothing to do with what she was feeling now, however. Shoot, even Marle, who was raised a princess, never had much of that to begin with. She was moreover the flirty and outgoing type; not at all like an introverted scientist who wore glasses. "Oh Lucca. You're pretty enough, it's not the glasses," she whispered to herself, "it's Marle. She looks good in anything, the all-around storybook princess."

_Crono, what would I look good in? Would you let me know?_

At that thought, she slapped her face and woke up to real-life. She had work to do, today. Some much needed experimenting and testing to be done. Besides, it'd give her something to do and get Crono off her mind. She didn't want to become obsessed with him, especially after he told her he didn't like it that Marle was becoming that way. Obsession was a formula for disaster, no matter how many equations were thrown into it. Obsessed? No way! She hadn't thought about him that much! Only about... all her life. It wasn't _that_ bad considering how she grew up with him.

Nothing out of the ordinary, right? Yeah, it was nothing. Nothing but love. She loved him so much that she'd do anything to be with him, regardless of how she thought about it. Wait a minute, now _that_ was obsessive! "Lucca, get it together girl. He's with Marle. There's no way you can compete with her. Just give up on him, okay?" _Eh? What are you thinking, Lucca? You almost had him last time. Don't let this flame die out so quickly._

Her thoughts left her with that as she changed into some shorts and a t-shirt to get on with her day. Her invention blew up yesterday, but she decided to try it again. She didn't know what happened to start with; it was a really simple design. She began to work on it and then Crono appeared in her mind. Ah, so that was the problem. Distracted from thinking about his amazing looks made that thing explode, that wouldn't happen this time. The object was something like a computer; inspired by seeing the broken, yet superior technology in their travels to the future. Perhaps she was the one who started that industry; using her brains to develop and benefit the world. Hundreds of years into the future, yeah, but it had to start somewhere and they were already beginning to see new progress.

If she could get this thing working, there was no telling what would come out of it; limitless possibilities. When she was ready, she grabbed her tools and walked down the stairs. Right when she was about to dismantle what little remained of her first failed attempt, Crono's words found their way inside her mind.

"_It'll be fun having you in the castle. I've actually wished that you were there a few times."_

The wrench in her hand dropped to the floor as a wryly smile etched itself across her face. "You really do want me, don't you Crono?"

* * *

Crono had been put through the wringer after he ditched all of his duties yesterday. Marle was mad at him for seeing Lucca after she told him not to, and the king was upset that his son-in-law decided to blow off all of his responsibilities. Crono didn't tell Marle about the kiss; he never told her the first time, either. It wasn't like it was a big deal, though. All Lucca did was one quick peck and nothing more. Shaking his head from the thought, he wiped some of the sweat off his face as he went through all of the paperwork the king had sent him. Double the amount this time, since he spent yesterday with Lucca. It might as well had filled the entire office space, and he banged his head on the desk looking at the stack.

At this point, he wished that he hadn't visited Lucca. If he knew she'd come on to him with such force, he would have taken Marle's advice, but she was still his friend. And now he couldn't get her off his mind. He wanted to and then again he didn't. What was going on with her and why in the world did he care? He cared on a friendly level, but now his thoughts were cloudy and confused. That dumb Lucca... He tried to tell her that he loved Marle, but she didn't listen. He still couldn't get that familiar fragrance that he'd known for so long out of his nostrils, and that kiss was still inside his mouth. "You stupid woman..." Crono said under his breath. "Lucca, I don't know what got into you, but if you're going to be acting like that, well..."

Crono's thoughts faded into the air as he inadvertently raised his hand to touch his mouth. Still not noticing, he looked around his silent office and saw all the beautiful oil paintings that were decorated across the maghony walls. This place was a fortress of solitude, away from everything and everyone aside from all the legal documents and so forth he always helped the king with. He had other responsibilities too, but the agonizing and boring task of paperwork had always been countered by this serene and private room.

"Thinking about me, huh Crono?" Marle said with a flirty grin as she leaned her back up against the doorway. She had snuck in without him noticing, and saw that he had his fingers on his lips. After that dramatic yelling scene she gave him the night before, and all the work he was doing now, she was thinking that he could use a little break. Crono dropped his hand in shock from her sudden arrival, and then gave a half-smile.

"Hmm? What was that? Maybe a shirt and jeans are too much for you? I could always change into something else." Crono snapped back into reality and rubbed his head.  
"Sorry, princess. I had my mind on something else."  
"Ah, and what would that be, my dear Crono?" she asked, holding him in embrace from behind his chair.  
"Oh, nothing too special. Been occupied with all this work."  
"Yeah, but it was your fault, Crono. Daddy wasn't too happy about it."  
"Yeah, yeah. You're enough trouble as it is."

Marle's face formed a devilish grin. "Hm, yes. I know." She turned him around and gave him a kiss.

Woah! What was Lucca doing? Wait, Lucca? No... What was she still doing on his mind? This was Marle's kiss; the one that he never wanted to break away from.

"You're boring when you're down here, Crono. When will you be done? It's already evening and I haven't seen you all day."  
"Yeah, I know. Sorry. That was a pretty rash decision I made, wasn't it?"  
"True, but whatever. I'm just glad your visit with Lucca went okay. Like you said, always nice to see a friend. How is she, by the way? I felt a little bad from what I said, and I kinda miss her."

_Lucca? Well she's..._ "She's just fine."

"Crono? Everything okay? That didn't sound too convincing."  
"Yeah, she's just going through a rough phase in life right now. She'll be fine." _That was definitely a lot more than just a phase, Crono.  
_"Oh. Glad to hear it. I think? Hope it all turns out well for her."  
"Yeah, me too."  
"Crono, since you love ditching your work so much, let's get out of here. I'll just make up some story to tell Daddy. It'll be fine."

Marle took his hand and nearly dragged him across the floor as he was pulled from his seat. They were about to exit when a castle guard stood in front of them. Seemed like _everybody_ wanted to bug Crono tonight.

"Ah. There you are, Lord Crono. There is a guest in the main hall who promptly requests an audience with you."

Lucca stood inside the extravagant halls of the castle, still disbelieving she even had the gall to walk through those doors after what she had done. What would Crono say and how would Marle react? Bah! Who cared about Marle, anyways? Not her. Crono would still be there, so even if Marle did reject, she'd still get to see that wild boy she had fallen in love with for all of her life. It was late, probably closer to around 10:00 PM when she entered the building. She hoped that she didn't disturb anyone, and especially Crono, from arriving at this time of night. For no logical reason at all, from what she could concur, she could feel the heart in her chest pound rapidly, like someone had just injected it with adrenaline. Well, perhaps somebody had.

She took in a few deep breaths and long exhales, almost stumbling a few times from where she stood. An officer stationed near the door offered her assistance, but she kindly refused, regaining her composure. It was a good thing that some of that elegance still lived within her. She slowed her heart rate down, reversing it back to normal. It was a random attack, out of nowhere, even. All she did was think about Crono, nothing too out of place there. With the sound of a semi-distant footstep, her heart regained its speed. With every step the unseen person took, her heart beat even more. She caught one figure out of her peripheral, and then two. To make matters even more confusing, once her eyesight caught one of the persons, her heart didn't race any longer; it slowed down to a crawl, and then back to its regular beat. "Hey, Crono..." she said, turning her head away and hardly believing those two words even made it past her own shoulder.

Marle was the first to respond, displaying a mixed emotion of both excitement and jealousy. Why there was jealousy, she couldn't figure out, but it could have done with the fact that Crono actually knew Lucca better than he knew her. Marle loved Crono, but never shared the same life as Lucca did with him. "Lucca! What have you been up to? Crono told me you two had a wonderful chat last night, what's new?"

"He did?" _So, Crono, what __**did**__ you say?_

Crono, wishing that Marle hadn't said that, placed his hand on her shoulder and walked down the steps ahead of her. "Hey, Lucca..." he said, almost the same way as she said it.

"I didn't come too late, did I? It's past 10:00, and, well...but you said that I could..."

Marle, always being an overly joyful person, tried to cut the unknown tension between the two. She didn't think much of it, Crono had said that Lucca was going through a pretty rough time. She embraced the two of them, and pulled each other close into her, so that now all three were in a tight-nit hug. Lucca was shocked by her action, and was then relieved to know that Crono hadn't told her what _truly_ happened.

"Lucca! How come we never see each other? We're not too far away!" Marle said, brimming with a smile.  
"Ah, I don't know. Life, maybe? Everything seems to get in the way." She looked over to Crono and said a whisper that only she could hear, "And I do mean _everything_."

As they all broke away from Marle's hug, Crono found himself running across a never-ending racetrack of memories. Even recent ones. _Too_ recent, at that. He blushed at a particular thought, and Lucca caught his mistake and made a foxy grin.

"Crono! Say something, will you?" Marle scolded, pushing him closer to his best friend.  
"Lucca, what brings you into the castle?" he asked her.  
"You said that I could come in tonight, remember? Told me that you had a special room for me," she said, failing at trying to sound provocative, but giving Marle a slight clue.  
"Oh, he did, huh?" Marle said catching the hint and jerking her husband around to see his face, all the while tapping her foot. "And why would he want that?"

"Because... He-" Lucca started, trying to control both urges to blurt everything out and to remain silent on the whole matter.

"You gonna answer, Lucca? Don't think that I didn't notice that cute little smile you gave him a few minutes ago. And as for you, Crono, you've been acting strange, too. What's going on?" Marle was becoming defensive, she was glad that Lucca came to visit, but given the time of night and the way she had said her words and how she looked at Crono, Marle was beginning to think that something was up. She wasn't as smart as Lucca, but she knew enough.

Crono made a loud sound along with a sigh. "Marle, stop worrying so much. I told you that she was going through a rough time, yeah? Well, I thought that maybe she could move in with us. At the very least, she wouldn't be lonely anymore."

"Oh, so that's what's going on?" Marle said with a cheerful smile, almost forgetting the situation. Good thing she was still a ditz, that would never be said of Lucca. She was even surprised that Marle bought into that story with such blinding speed, even though that was the reason he invited her in the first place. His reason, at least. Lucca had a few reasons of her own, and she'd do her best to see them through.

"Yeah, sorry about that Marle," Lucca apologized, "I smiled at Crono because he's such a good friend. He has always been, since the very first day I met him. He said it'd be alright, can I just live with you guys from now on? It's so boring and lonely in that stupid house of mine."

"Lucca, you expect me to just let you inside my castle on a whim and everything will be okay?" Marle said, almost sounding serious until she burst into laughter. "Well, come on, girl! Welcome home!"

That felt good, it really did. She'd get to live with Marle and Crono and catch up on old times, and look forward to new ones. Everything was going the way she wanted it, the only thing left was...

"Marle," Crono said, "I'll go get the maids and tell them that we have a new resident. Want to come along?"  
"Nah, thanks though. You go on ahead, okay Crono? Lucca and I need to have some girl-to-girl talk and catching up to do before the evening closes."

Marle waited until her husband walked up the many flights of stairs and when his footsteps were no longer heard. She turned to Lucca and gave her a scowl that surprised the both of them. "Lucca, aside from Crono, you're definitely one of my closest friends. We spent some really hard times with each other, but know this," she fixed her hair before continuing, "If you ever look at my hot Crono like that again, I'll freeze you in place. I haven't forgotten the use of my magic, Lucca. You try sounding all cute and sexy with him the next time, and you won't be moving anything at all."

"Well, then," Lucca responded with a harsh tone, "I haven't either, _Nadia._ He's my best friend, I'll look at him in any way I want. I've known him much longer than you have, so you can't tell me what I can and cannot do."

"Lucca, you really crossed the line on that one. I don't let anybody flirt with my Crono, especially when I'm standing right next to him. I know you guys have been really close in the past, and still are, but it really made me feel uncomfortable. Lucca, you probably didn't mean anything by it, as I know you'd never try anything so brazen, but please be careful, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah... Whatever princess..." _Hey Marle, do __**you**__ want to play with fire? Let's see how fast ice can really melt._

"Hey Lucca," Marle said, but now in an apologetic tone, "I'm sorry that I just went off on you like that. I freaked because you two are such close friends and he talks about you every now and then. Besides, you really do have a cute face," she said, giving a wink and lightly flicking Lucca's forehead.

"I have nothing to worry about, right? I can't lose him again, Lucca. He's my Crono, and no one else's."  
"Marle, you're acting irrational. Everything's stable, okay? You don't have to keep accusing me."  
"Sorry! Not a very friendly house-warming, was it? That's okay, I think your room is ready, we'll all have some fun tomorrow, okay?"  
"Yeah, sure thing, Marle!"

Lucca walked up the stairway with Marle close behind, and was saddened that Crono was nowhere in sight. He was probably in his own bedroom waiting for Marle, and trying to stay away from revisiting the event that had happened the day before. Well, it didn't matter much anyways. Crono couldn't hide from her anymore. She knew exactly where he was.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Marle woke up with Crono beside her, still sound asleep. She ran her fingers through his messy red hair; which was always worse in the morning. They got to bed late after helping Lucca move in, so all they could do when they got back was sleep. She sighed and rolled over to her side away from Crono, remembering her conversation with Lucca. It was pretty harsh for a usually friendly girl.

"I'll freeze you in place," she had said. Would she really? Seemed a bit drastic, especially given their friendship. It had been very good, but Marle felt that Lucca drifted away somehow soon after the marriage. She was still her friend, right? She hoped so, but after seeing those loving eyes and smile that she gave Crono; it looked like it was much more than just a simple thanks.

What really happened during their meeting? Crono was acting a bit unusual when he came back. Then again, those two knew each other all their lives, and Marle had only known him for a few years. Been married one of those years, and she got to know him in many other ways and that made their connection strong, but Crono could trust Lucca with anything. Just like her.

She wanted to be the only person Crono trusted that way, not another _girl, _but they were married. She had nothing to fear. She hoped. "Crono! Darling, wake up!" Marle said, shaking her husband. He sounded a groan and turned over, wanting to stay in the bed.

"Crono! You never wake up!" She kicked him off the mattress, and he didn't wake up until his head hit the floor.  
"Ouch! What in the... Marle? Did you just kick me?"  
"Obviously. Get ready, Crono. We promised Lucca a good day, today."  
"Huh? Wha? Lucca?" he responded, still dazed and partially asleep.

"Lucca! You know, your childhood friend? The one that you invited into the castle? Get up, already!"  
"Already am, Marle. Kicked me off the bed, remember?"  
"Yeah, well it's about time you're paying attention. Let's go."

"Woah, hold on there, girl. You okay? You're pretty brutal this morning." He stood up and rubbed his head from the fall. Marle, who herself was still in the bed, snapped her head back at his question, gripping the sheets. She wasn't okay; the arrival of Lucca had changed all of that. Her thoughts were in a state of confusion, contradicting each other. One part of her was that bubbly air-head that loved her friends, and the other was a jealous wife. And why, she still didn't know. There was no reason for it, however. It didn't matter if Lucca had known Crono all her life; Marle knew him in many ways that she couldn't. Nothing would ever pry him away from her, no matter how many beautiful women came across his way. Still, she did feel a bit antsy since Lucca came the night before.

Drama or not, Marle had enough of it and there was no reason to worry about anything. She looked into her husband's eyes as he still awaited her answer and smiled. "Sorry, Crono. I'm cool, just one of those moments."

"Marle, every day with you is 'one of those moments.'"

Marle finally got out of the bed and did a few stretches before continuing to speak. She noticed that it caught Crono's eye and she grinned. Things were still fine and she could always tell what he was thinking. And, this time, his mind was all on her.

"So, Crono, what are we going to do?"

Lucca never went to sleep, despite her late-night arrival. How could she when Crono was only a few rooms down the hall? The dark circles under her eyes would prove that she had stayed up all night. Hopefully she wouldn't look horrible because of them. Well, if they were noticeable, at least they'd draw his attention to her. She could figure the rest out on her own for sure.

She hadn't even changed her clothes; surprisingly enough. She still had that oil stained shirt and torn jeans that she wore whenever she was tinkering with something new. Her stuff was already brought in; all but her inventions and tools which would be taken care of later. A knock on the door broke her from the blank stare that she held on her legs under the blankets.

"Lucca, it's Marle. You ready yet?"  
"Sorta. I'm awake, but not fully dressed."  
"Well hurry up!" Marle commanded on the other side of the door. "We promised you a nice time out today! Get a move on!"  
"What? What about my stuff back at the house?"  
"Psh," she said with a wave of the hand, "We'll take care of that crud later. It's so boring when Crono's busy!"  
"Crono? What about you? Aren't you the princess? A fairly high position, Marle. Bet you have things to do, too," Lucca said now finding her clothes.

Marle, still behind Lucca's door, raised a grin. "Nope! Not today! Plans have changed. My Dad wants Crono to attend meetings and yada-yada. I'm not allowed in for some dumb reason. He'll be free later tonight but as of right now, it's just us girls."

Crono wasn't coming? So much for that cute outfit she was going to wear. Just her and Marle today, huh? It'd be fun hanging out with an old friend. Even though the three of them had visited from time to time, both Crono and Marle could never stay for all that long. It'd be great spending some time with Marle, and Lucca could even get some inside information on her Crono.

HER Crono? Now, that was being obsessive and those kinds of thoughts could prove very deadly. She had to step carefully; Crono belonged to Marle and she knew that he'd never leave her. At least, not without some ''persuasion.''

"Lucca? You okay? You went silent," Marle's concerned voice asked. Lucca finished dressing herself in some jeans and a purple shirt to match her short hair and walked to the door.  
"Yeah," she said opening it, "I was just trying to get ready. Where are we going and what are we doing? The fair's closed, Marle."  
"Fair? Who needs that? I've bought us a private ticket to cruise the landscape on the ferry. You comin' or what?"  
"Too bad we dismantled the Epoch, huh? That'd be loads of excitement." _And I would have gone back to that time and kiss him before you did.  
_"True, but time's fine as it is. Assuming we decide to get out of here! Let's go, the boat's waiting!"

As they walked to the harbor, Lucca was actually grateful to Marle for taking her along. It was a gorgeous day, mixed with cool breezes and the songs of birds. She almost never left the house, always keeping to herself as she always had. This was a welcomed change, and good for the skin too; she was a little pale from lack of sunlight. Even though Crono was not with them, Lucca felt happy and decided to spend a wonderful time with her friend. They boarded the ship and as Marle had said, it was definitely a private ticket. It was just the two of them aside from the ship's regular crew. Marle undid her long golden hair, and allowed it to drop and blow in the wind as she danced about. She actually had never been on a ferry before; just like Lucca. That would make this day very special indeed. Two friends both experiencing something new at the same time. She motioned Lucca to come join her near the railing and smiled when she did. "That purple short matches your short hair, Lucca. That's kinda cute," she said with a wink.

Lucca, to her surprise, actually blushed at that. "Hey! I have fashion sense! Always have to look good, right?"

"You bet. Oh, I love this wind. So enchanting. I could just allow it to take me away."

_If you want, Marle, I'll push you off myself._

"But I wouldn't be with Crono, right? This feels great, Lucca! We should do this every day!"  
"Ha! You're as bubbly as ever, I see."

Marle smiled and looked into Lucca's friendly eyes with her own not being as such. "Lucca, do you like Crono?"

_**Like** him? You crazy? I **love** him! _"Um, what do you mean?" she asked, careful of how to answer Crono's wife.

"Like, you've guys been friends forever, right? Have you ever..." Marle's voice faded as she pointed her eyes to her toes.  
"You mean have I ever been attracted to him?"  
"You always look at him like you are."

_Well, yeah! What girl **wouldn't** look at him?_

"Tell me the truth, Lucca. Please. We've always been good friends."  
"Is this why you took me out today?" Lucca said defending herself and trying to avoid the issue.  
"Part of it, but I also wanted to spend some time with you. Besides, I need to get this off my chest."

"Yeah, a pretty **big** chest," Lucca said out loud without thinking it through and lifting her eyebrows up with a roll of the eyes. Marle turned red at the remark for a second or two, and then stared her friend down.

"That wasn't necessary, Lucca. Just answer my question. Yes or no? I'll believe you either way if you're truthful."  
"Either way?"  
"Yes."

_Go ahead and lie, Lucca! You've never done it before! Think of it as a new experiment and await the results. They may even be good._

"No."  
"No what?"  
"No, I don't like him. As a friend, sure, and I'll always hold him dear to me but I'm not attracted to him. I could never take him away from your arms, anyways." _At least, you wouldn't notice it..._

"So, Crono's only fallen in love with me? Not you?"  
"Yes." _Well, that part is true. You told me to be truthful, didn't you? Never said when._

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. I'm a little overprotective of him, you see."  
"Ha! Yeah, he's said that."  
"He has? Heh, well maybe I should back off just a tad."

_Yes, that'll be just fine, Marle. Just fine._

"Thank you for telling me the truth, Lucca. I'm really happy," Marle said with a beaming smile.

_Truth? Oh man... What did I just say... I just...well... Whatever._

"You're welcome, Marle. Let's enjoy the rest of the cruise, I never get to go outside."

Marle gave her a tight hug and answered in agreement. The rest of the trip was peaceful; and the reflection of the half-full moon in the evening's sky glistened in a very surreal way on the water's surface. As they pulled into the harbor, Lucca took in the chill of the night air near the docks. The walk back to the castle was also peaceful, and her face lit with joy when Marle told her that the whole point of them coming out today was for her stuff to be moved inside the castle.

That was good because ever since she saw the computers in the future, she wanted to create one. And with more room to work, she wouldn't be as limited. Except that brief moment on the ship with that very uncomfortable conversation, the entire day and night had been fantastic. In fact, she had forgotten all about Crono until they entered the castle.

She had gone in before Marle, ecstatic that her equipment was finally there and as she rushed down the stairs to the former dungeon which would now be her laboratory; she found Crono putting the last box into place.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The red blush in Crono's face told Lucca that he wasn't expecting her back at this hour, and that he also hadn't forgotten about their little ''date'' the other day. She let a clever smile grow on her face and rocked her hip to the side. She then placed her hand on it as if to say, "Hey good looking. What are you doing here all alone? Want to spend some time with me?"

"Hi Lucca..." he said, actually skipping a breath. Had she finally gotten to him? No, it wasn't that at all; he was still feeling very uncomfortable around her. For many reasons he did and did not know.

"It's late, Crono," she said with a rather soothing and entrancing voice followed by a wink. Since when did she act like this? It was so extreme, not even in her wildest dreams would she ever think that she'd act so, well, wild. She was sick of being that shy and innocent girl next door. She was becoming disgusted with it, and wanted to completely overhaul her entire system and build it into something much, much more. It would be her greatest experiment, and oh how she loved the research.

"You have a nice time with Marle? She was really excited about it," Crono finally asked her.  
"Yeah, it was pretty good. Really enjoyed the sunshine, too."  
"Glad to hear it, your skin's a little pale," he said with a laugh.

"You looking at my skin, Crono?" _Has it caught your eye?_

"Lucca, stop it," he said, predicting what would happen and wanting to cut it short.  
"Aww, come on. You're no fun!" she said with a playful pout.

"That's right, I'm not. Lucca, I helped bring your stuff in because you'll always be my childhood friend. If you keep this up, however, you won't even be that. I love Marle, Lucca. Get that through your head."

"You don't have to be so mean, Crono!" Lucca shouted.  
"Giving an already married man a kiss when he said no is worse, Lucca. Please, just stop this while it still won't hurt you. If this goes on, one of us will end up broken-hearted."  
"It won't be me, baby." _Wait? ''Baby?''  
_"Lucca! Look, I'm glad you're here, but you need to stop! I can't reciprocate your feelings! Not while I'm with Marle!" _Not while? Crono, what are you thinking?_

"Oh really? So tell me Crono," Lucca said as she moved closer to him, purposefully leaning her head and body forward, "If it wasn't for Marle, would you have married me instead?" _Wow, girl! That's not direct at all!_

"I-" Crono started, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts. The confusing thing was that he **had** thought about it before. That was until he met Marle and from the very second he laid eyes on that magnificent beauty, he was stolen away. She had him good, and he wanted it. "That's not the point, Lucca."

Bingo. "So you **have** thought about it! And it looks like I'm still on-your-mind," she said as her fingers walked up his chin to his nose. She paralyzed him from the action, and he shook his head to escape from the touch. "Don't do that! I'll kick you out of here!"

"That's a lie, Crono. What are you so afraid of? I can feel you trembling thinking about it. Are you getting excited? Marle doesn't have to know, you never tell her anything anyways."  
"Hey! That's... You..."

He felt his heart racing, just what was going on? That beating heart belonged to Marle, and no one else. There was no way he'd betray her, even if his best friend still had the hots for him. Her hand was now on top of his, and all of their childhood memories were being drawn back into his mind. The wonderful times they spent together, the sorrowful times they spent together, and the times that he... That he actually thought of _them_ together. Marle had destroyed all of those previous feelings, and he loved her with all of his heart. Yes, that same one that was beating rapidly now. He never actually ''liked'' Lucca, but the thought had crossed his mind way back in the past, even though he would always discard it. She had a valid point, but it was meaningless now. He was with Marle, and he wanted to _stay_ with Marle. Always.

"Lucca, the past is the past. It is not today," he told her, gently pushing her aside.

"You're touching me, Crono," Lucca said, as she noticed his one arm resting on her shoulder. He pulled it away almost as quick as she said it, and sheltered it into his chest. That was surprising, he didn't even know that it was still on. What was this feeling he had around Lucca? Was it love? Yes, and no. He loved her as a friend, but loved Marle so much more as a partner. Those two levels couldn't even compare to each other, so what he was feeling now made no sense whatsoever. Maybe some of that long forgotten childhood attraction was resurfacing? Scary.

"Lucca, it's really late. You should be getting to bed. Marle's waiting for me."  
"Oh, I'll get to bed alright..." she said, slowly walking towards him.  
"Lucca... Crono said, unable and unwilling to move away.

"Want to spend the night with me, Crono? Just like we always used to as kids? Let's go, alright? It'll be like old times. And maybe even some new ones as well," she said with a devilish smirk. "Just one night, Crono. That's all I'm asking. Just one special night together with two old friends. Marle will never know; you're very good at keeping our affairs secret."

He had enough. Enough of her advances, enough of all the confusing thoughts and memories, just enough of _her._ Lucca had gone too far, this time. She had no idea how much of an insult that was to both him and Marle. This wasn't the Lucca he had grown up with; she was more like a succubus whose only drive was to fulfill her own burning desires. For a scientist, she wasn't listening to reason. Or anything else, for that matter. His fist clenched, but he released it just as quickly.

"Lucca! That wild passion of yours is making you deaf to everything I'm trying to say!"

_I'm a fire hazard, Crono. Contain me._ "You've been both deaf and blind your whole life, Crono. If you're only figuring this out now. I can make some less-subtle hints if that's what you'd prefer," she said with a mischievous look in her eye. Instead of backing away from her like she thought he would, he stepped closer, but only to maintain a dominant composure. "I've had enough, Lucca. Get out of my way, I'm sleeping with Marle."

Without thinking, Lucca took Crono by force and the sudden unexpected movement caused the two of them to fall onto the floor. She looked up into Crono's eyes and smiled.

"You're on top of me, Crono. Now what will you do?"

* * *

Marle had waited patiently for Crono's return, but she had fallen asleep before he ever came in. She moaned Crono's name in her sleep and rolled over to the empty side of the bed. She reached over to touch Crono, but her arm only streaked across the smooth surface. Whether still asleep or coming out of a dream, the vacant space alerted her that something was wrong. "Crono?" she spoke softly, opening her celestial blue eyes. "Crono? Crono!" she raised her voice, throwing off the bedcovers.

She looked around after the gasp of air, and searched for her dearest love. The time on the clock told her that she had been asleep for an hour, and Crono had yet to be back. "Crono darling, where are you?" she said scratching her head. "Haven't you finished with Lucca's stuff yet?" she asked to herself as she rubbed her eyes.

"Lucca!"

She jumped out of the bed in a panic. "She still down there with him? But she said that... No, it's okay. They're probably catching up on old times. _Yes, Marle. That's it. Midnight and they're __**talking.**_I better go check on her. Man, I'm losing my head."

She took her time walking down the stoned hallway towards Lucca's room, berating herself about what a fool she was for waking up in the middle of the night. Everything changed dramatically since Lucca's arrival, and she hadn't even been there for all that long.

Crono had been acting differently, too. Despite what Lucca told her. She believed her, though. There was no reason for her to lie, or so Marle thought. Something was going on; that much was certain. It wasn't like Crono to stay out so late, even if he _was_ helping Lucca with her belongings. He could have finished on time and then just sit down for a nice long chat with his friend. _Could have._

He could have done many other things, also. She was at Lucca's door now, and all it would take to find out would be one simple knock. "What if she's there? Will Crono be, also?" Marle asked herself. "And if she isn't there, then where is she, and where would Crono be? Lucca, you stupid girl. If you even touched him..."

Marle took a deep breath and then exhaled before knocking on the door.

* * *

"You're on top of me, Crono. Now what will you do?"  
"Get off of me, Lucca!"  
"You're the one on top of me, Crono dear. Perhaps you'd rather switch?"

"No!" Crono sounded, jolting away from her and tripping over an open box. The contents inside spilled onto the floor, and some of the sharp edges of metal cut his skin. He said nothing and stood back up.

"You know you want it, Crono," she said, positioning herself on the floor.  
"You can't tell me what I know and what I don't know," he replied with a strict look in his eyes.  
"What _do_ you know then, Crono?"

"I know that..." _That I'm very confused. _

"Come on, Crono. I don't look that bad, do I?" she said now sitting up.  
"No, you're a very pretty girl, but..."  
"You think I'm pretty, Crono?" _Baby, let's go.  
_"I've always told you that, Lucca. Just telling you the truth, nothing special about that."  
"Hm, yes. You have. You've always thought about me."  
"Lucca! You're taking this out of context!"

"Then why are you so red in the face?" she said with a smirk, noticing Crono's color.

"I'm with Marle, Lucca! Back off!" Crono was angry now, still unbelieving of what was actually happening. And what he was actually thinking.  
"A man no matter how faithful can always be tempted, Crono. Given the right motivation."  
"Lu-cc-aah..." Crono said, unable to breathe. What was going on here? There was no way that he'd do what she was asking!

"Do I take your breath away, Crono? Do you want more?" she stood up and outlined her figure with her arms and hands. "I'm feeling hot, not going to lie." _Not right now, anyways._

"Marle's probably either asleep or wondering where I am," he said trying to get his mind off of his current situation.  
"I don't care. She won't find out. You never tell her anything."  
"But I'll know, Lucca. It's just as bad."  
"Oh trust me, honey. You'll WANT to know this after I'm done with you." Lucca winked, and Crono's heart stopped from her action and words. He had to get out of here. Now.

An exposed metal edge caught his leg as he backed away a bit, and he had to regain his balance before falling back down. There was no doubt about it now; this wasn't just a ''phase.'' She was for real and as she slowly inched her way towards him, he needed to escape before something _else_ happened. And before Marle actually _did_ find out.

"You're shaking, Crono. Are you thinking about it? Is that why you haven't left?"

_Yes, Crono. Why haven't you left? Do you really think that..._

"Lucca, was this a mistake inviting you into the castle? I don't like this side of you," Crono said, ignoring all of the blaring questions inside his mind.  
"What mistake? You wanted me in here, didn't you?" she said lowering her eyes.

"Well I..."  
"See? You can't live without me, now can you?"

_That's right Crono. You really can't live without her._

"I didn't know that you'd do this! If I had known-"

"Oh shut up!" she interrupted, "A part of you always knew. You have never denied it. You still know it. Tell me, Crono," Lucca held Crono at his waist and pulled him into her chest, "even though you're sleeping with Marle, whose name are you _really_ screaming out at night?"

Lucca released an arm from his waist and lifted it up to her glasses. She tossed them out of the way, and didn't even care for the breaking sound she heard when they hit the floor. She wanted Crono to get a better look at her eyes. They were burning hot for him, he even swore that he could feel some rising flames. Both their chests were pressed into each other, and Crono could feel the quickening pace of his heart as it beat with Lucca's; almost as if they were dancing.

"Does this feel good Crono?" Lucca said when she caught a slight glisten in his eye. "Are you going to kiss me or just hold me, Crono? Maybe you want me to try again?"

_Lucca, stop this. Maybe if I had never met Marle, but now... Now I'm just not that sure. But perhaps there would have been a..._

"Make it quick, lover. I think I just heard your bedroom door open. If you're going to make the first move, you better hurry it up. I'm running out of patience, and we're still pressed against each other."

_Crono, if you're going to run, do it now._

"Do it now, Crono!"

_Yes, do it now._

Lucca felt his breath as he slowly moved in without a thought. He wanted it! He really, really wanted it! He sparked her fire, and his hand was now on her cheek. It was thrilling, he was actually going to kiss her out of his own free will! So close, it was only a matter of seconds. She closed her eyes and waited for him to finally give her that one thing she had always longed for. She was so close, so very, very close.

* * *

_Knock. Knock. _Marle tapped on the door lightly, not wanting to make a lot of noise. That didn't make any sense, though. If she wanted Lucca to answer, she'd have to knock harder. She was still scared and confused, and hated it. She didn't know what she'd find behind that door if anything at all. Just the mere thought of freaking out about whether or not somebody was in that room was absurd in itself. Something was eating away at her brain; something she should have noticed from the start. Before Lucca moved in, and even before their wedding. "No, I'm not attracted to him," Lucca's words came back into memory. Did she really mean that? Yeah, she had to. She promised not to lie. Lucca had never lied before, there was no reason to doubt. There was no reason to worry either, yet she still was. Marle let her arms drop to her sides and rested her forehead on the door.

"Lucca, what's getting into me?" she asked in a quiet voice, "You're just fine, right? You wouldn't do anything to betray me? No, of course you wouldn't. You said so yourself. You awake in there? I really don't want to bother you, but I need to get it off my mind. For some reason, you always seem to be in there now. I'm knocking again, please don't get angry if I wake you up."

Marle pounded louder this time, but still heard no response from the other side. "You won't open it? Well, I have a key. This is my home, after all. Hope you don't have anything in there that you don't want me to see, Lucca." Marle inserted the master key into the hole and turned the knob. The old wooden door creaked and opened slowly, revealing what was in the room. Marle's face turned grim.

"Nothing..."

* * *

Almost there. She could feel him drawing ever closer, and the warmth of his breath flowing over her bright red lips.

_Crono! Enough teasing already, just kiss me! Do it! You're almost there! I'll show you just how wild a fire can burn._

She was tense and stimulated, this could change everything she knew about Crono. It'd definitely change everything he knew about her, and this was the moment, he'd be doing it any second. She felt an electrical shock through her entire body (or from what she could explain) as his lips were dangerously close to hers. Just when she thought she finally had him, the hand on her cheek dropped, and his face pulled away. He unfastened her hold on him and he walked a good distance across the other side of the large room with his back turned towards her.

What had he just done? Or, what did he almost do? Just what in the world was that, anyways? He was so entranced, that he had completely lost himself and he almost betrayed his wife with a kiss. What did that say of him, and now what was Lucca thinking? He had just made her think that he wanted what she wanted, but that was a lie. There was no way he wanted to be with Lucca now that he had Marle. At least, not anymore.

Lucca was still frazzled from the event, and confused to say the least. Did he just kiss her? No, but he came awfully close. She smirked because she knew that there could be a chance. Her looks, her smell, just everything Crono had ever known about her finally came colliding into each other; making Crono feel what she always wanted him to. "That was quite the sexy 'no,' Crono," she said, repeating a conversation that was heard before. Crono either hadn't heard her, or had just ignored her. He brushed himself off and walked up the only flight of stairs.

"There you go again, Crono. Always dodging the issue."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

She was almost there, she had him right where she wanted him. She was so close, that it was frustrating and fantastic at the same exact time. She always knew that Crono wanted her, and that fact was very clear. So she thought, anyways. That boy had thought about her in the past before Marle, so he still held part of that attraction deep within him. Marle dominated his life, and she became the first girl that he fell in love with, forsaking Lucca. Lucca wasn't sure if Crono had done that willingly, or if she somehow had taken advantage of their past history and used it against him. Whatever the reason, he almost kissed her! She could feel his chin on hers, and only a half a second longer, he would have done it. She then would have set him aflame with her fiery kisses, only stopping when the both of them had run out of breath.

But then he had to stop! Remember his morals or some such nonsense. For an instant in time, she had actually made him forget Marle, making him believe that she wasn't there. She was getting so hot feeling him against her body that she almost exploded. Why did he pull away? Because his was fighting a war within himself; one side loving Marle, and the other curious about what would have been if he had never met her. To her dismay, that ''good'' side of him won the fight, and now she was back to where she started. Sort of, anyways. She was much farther now than she had ever been, but she was still so far away. Was he teasing her, or just playing her for a sap?

This was all his fault, really. He couldn't escape from it now, no matter how long he remained silent on the issue. She was so angry with him for doing that to her, and then just walking away like nothing had taken place. That was cold as ice, leading her on and then running away at the last possible second. That stupid Marle, that was all her influence. Did he think that just because he was married to her, that he actually had to stay with her? Lucca was introverted, but she didn't have to stay that way. There was no law in the universe that locked someone into a permanent decision. Everything changes; planets, stars, animals, emotions.

Crono was changing, too. A few days ago he would have never done something like that, but last night his actions spoke differently. In more ways than one, it proved his confusion. She could feel it in his heartbeat as it paced along with hers. "What am I doing? I love Marle. But Lucca's right here, and I really don't know why she's capturing me so." That's what she heard in his heart, and she could tell by his thoughts as well. His cold response made her want him even more, and the next time she had him, she'd melt away anything having to do with Marle. He may have walked away from it, but that beating heart of his was speaking something else entirely. She still didn't know what that exactly was, but she'd discover where his true passion lied the next time he was in her arms. And she'd kiss him this time; no more hesitations and wasted seconds. Her experiment was going quite wonderfully, and she certainly didn't want any undesirable variables thrown into it.

* * *

Marle couldn't get back to sleep last night after she witnessed Lucca's empty bedroom. So many thoughts filled her mind, and the most of them weren't all that pleasant. There was no telling what had transpired between her and Crono, if anything at all. Once she discovered that the room was vacant of its guest, Marle just walked back to her own, slowly dragging each and every step. Part of her wanted to go downstairs and see what was going on, and the other part forbade it. She hadn't noticed at the time, but her gaze on Lucca's bed must have lasted for minutes, until it all finally sank in.

As she trudged along the hallway path back to her door, she caught a moving shadow underneath her eyes from below the flights of stairs. Crono. She was ready to pound him, but thought the better of it and decided to wait for him in their room. She'd duke it out with him once he got inside. She sat upright on her bed, pondering what she would say the moment Crono walked in through that door. "Where were you?" Marle rehearsed, "Where was Lucca? Where you two together?" She mulled over those words, frightened and energized from the possible outcomes. "Crono," she whispered, "get in here already."

Crono put his foot on the final step leading up to his bedroom's hallway. He could see that his door was slightly open, leaking out the light from inside. Great. Marle was awake; he was hoping that he could just slip in there unnoticed. She would want to know where he was, and how was he supposed to answer the question? It'd be hard to shake off what he did (or what he almost did). He stood still, trying to relinquish the thought before he even dared enter Marle's door.

"Do it now, Crono!" he heard Lucca's voice echo in his ears. He actually turned around behind him too, believing that the voice was for real. There was nobody behind him; only his dancing shadow illuminated by candle flame. The temperature around him was cool and comfortable, but he felt like he was on fire; beads of sweat rolling down his skin. Lucca was still on his mind, and he didn't know when she'd get off. He hated her there. He wanted her there. He just didn't know where she would stay. All those childhood feelings he once held for her were rekindled just a moment ago, and now he couldn't find a way to snuff them out.

They were strange feelings, and ones of even stranger thoughts and actions.

"_A man no matter how faithful can always be tempted, Crono. Given the right motivation."_

Those words echoed in his heart and the scary thing was that they were true. Anyone could stumble, humans were always like that; but it went against everything he proclaimed sacred to him. He was a punk, yes, but at least he was a gentlemanly punk. If there ever was such a thing. His eyes shifted back and forth from the bottom of the staircase to the open door in the hall on his left. Where would he go? Lucca was downstairs probably still hot and bothered for him, and Marle was a few feet away and ready to impale him with a sharp icicle. Either way, he'd see them both soon enough anyways.

He was married to Marle, and Lucca was only a thing of the past. He had those thoughts about her countless times before Marle, but it had never felt right and he never acted on them. When that majestic goddess that he fell in love with came along, everything he thought he liked about Lucca was completely annihilated. To Crono, Marle was his angel. To Lucca, Marle was her angel of death. He had loved Lucca as a friend in the past, and might have loved her more if Marle never showed up, but she did. And he was thankful for it. "Lucca..."

Crono shook his head and walked down the candlelit hall, to finally confront his wife. What did she know, and what didn't she know? How could he tell her? He hadn't cheated on her, he never wanted to, but he had come dangerously close, and hated himself for it. Would he tell her about everything or only shove it aside like he did the other times? That always turned Lucca on, having him being perceived as the impossible forbidden love. And he _was_ forbidden, only Marle was allowed to have him. He felt a cold chill before he set foot into the bedroom, and hugged his arms once inside. He could see his breath in the air, and Marle was right there waiting for him, standing in the middle of the room with an icy floor underneath of them. "Where were you, Crono?" she asked with a twitch of an eye and a hint of angst.

"Downstairs..." he replied, trying to warm himself up. He attempted to get on the bed, since the mattress had been untouched by Marle's magic, but she encased that in ice as well, right before he got to it. "Downstairs? It took you that long to finish unpacking? Lucca wasn't in her room, Crono."

_That's right she wasn't! The girl's crazy! _"Yeah, I know."

"You do? Were you two talking?"  
"Marle, stop being so jealous. There is nothing wrong with talking with a friend." _Even if she could have been something else.  
_Crono shivered and that put a smile on Marle's face. "Cold, babe? I think it feels good in here. Perhaps you'd rather stay a bit warmer?"

"_That's right, Crono. I'm burning up, come down the stairs and feel the heat with me," _he heard Lucca's voice in his head speak out.

"Shut up!" Crono said, trying to block it out.  
"What did you just say?" Marle screamed, ready to give him a hard smack across the face.  
"No! I was trying to get something off of my mind, Marle!"

"Or _someone,_" she said with a roll of the eye.

"Marle..."

Easing up and realizing that her responses were nothing short of childish since she had no reason to behave this way in the first place, she walked over to him and embraced his neck. "Crono, my precious Crono. I've been acting foolishly, you can see her. I don't care. She's your friend, too. Just promise me something, Crono. Promise that you'll never leave me all alone again. Without you Crono, I feel like I don't exist anymore. Stay with me until the end of time."

"Marle, you're an astonishing woman. I knew that from the first time I saw you. That's why I chased after you during the incident in the fair; I always wanted to catch another look at you. And now you're here in my arms. As if I'd ever let you slip away." He drew her close into him and her body felt warm to the touch despite all the ice around them. She felt so good with that goddess' figure pressed against him; like he'd ever trade her for Lucca. Lucca. There she was again. Always on his mind since she first moved in. And not too long ago, he was sharing this same moment with her, and came so very close to kissing her. Marle closed in for her own and Crono hesitated, transposing Lucca's face onto hers since the memory was still very fresh in his mind. Even if it was unwanted.

"_Marle will never know; you're very good at keeping our affairs secret." _

Lucca's voice crept inside his mind again and he forced those loud words out. He ran his fingers through his wife's long blond hair placed his hand on her cheek. She touched his as well, and they were now in a very intimate hold. Marle gave a cute smile which in turn made him do the same, and their lips came together and entered a passionate kiss. It was wonderful, but the question remained; even though Marle was in his embrace, was it her or Lucca that he was truly kissing?

Well, whoever it was, this girl knew how to kiss. He could feel her tongue inside of him and when they were finally finished, she slowly pulled away and he was now staring at the face of a beautiful princess. So Marle was on his heart, after all. It had to have been her, it was always her. What could have been with Lucca never came to be, and he'd always have Marle. However, Lucca was only a few steps away and he'd see that cute face of hers everyday from now on. As Marle forced him up against the wall, he tried to push back his thoughts on the matter. Still, it left him wondering. What would have happened if he had kissed her, and she was the one pinning him down?

* * *

The next morning, Lucca awoke to find herself still inside the basement. She didn't even have to guess why she was still down here; she definitely knew. _He_ was here, and she wanted to spend the whole night with him. Even though he had blew her off last night, she now wanted to see him more than ever (if she wasn't obsessed already). That was cold to just leave her all alone like that; especially when he had come so very close. Marle won again, just like she always had. If she didn't have such a perfect body, Crono wouldn't have even bothered to talk to her. Her intelligence certainly didn't attract him to her. Her mind must have been on permanent brain-freeze, because she was always such a klutz and a ditzy idiot.

Crono did love other things about her too, he wasn't the type who only looked for sexy bodies and nothing else. Given, Marle's appearance certainly helped matters, but it was what Crono saw inside of her that made her shine. Why couldn't Lucca shine? She was so much smarter than Marle, and even though she wasn't as developed, she wasn't a hag, either. She was definitely cute, but not a storybook princess. Her research from last night proved to her that Crono did in fact have a romantic interest in her, or at least he once did. So that meant that he could have one again if she put her subject in a controlled environment. All she'd have to do would be to throw on something sexy and wild, and not even Marle could compare. Well, perhaps if Marle wore the same outfit, but she wouldn't give Crono the chance to think about that. She'd intercept him the first moment she saw the jaw drop, and then it'd all be over. She'd show Crono just how cold and rigid life really was without a fire to keep you warm.

She took a yawn and a wide stretch before standing up and brushing herself off. She was down here all night, and definitely needed a shower. Especially after all those thoughts and dreams about Crono. Maybe she could get him to join her? No, she shook off that thought within the instant of its birth; Marle would never allow it. It didn't matter anyway, she was bound to get that man, and not even that goddess herself could stop her. The feel of his lips... The touch of his skin... The look of his sexy hair... Everything about him was perfect, and even if science had a difficult time in actually defining that word, she didn't care. Perfect meant perfect, and Crono was the face behind the word.

"Okay, let's get out of here. I'll mess around with all this junk later," she said annoyed that she'd have to unpack the remaining boxes Crono skipped out on. She walked the stairs to the main floor and gave a quiet sigh because there was no one up there waiting for her. She'd have to find the shower on her own, maybe even hire some help. And by that, she meant Crono, even if his wife wouldn't like it. Marle had him for too long anyways, it was time to give him back.

"Excuse me, Milady," said one of the castle's employ, "may I help you?"  
"Yes," Lucca responded with a pilate bow, "I was pretty much rushed here, and I have no idea where the bathrooms are. Would you mind guiding me to them?"  
"Not at all! We have plenty, and all are installed with tubs and showers."  
"Yes, yes. That's good and all, but where are they?" Lucca asked, a little snappish.  
"Oh. Sorry. You'll find the nearest one just down that hall," he told her as he pointed his finger to the location. "Anything else that I can help you with?"  
"Heh, you make it sound like I'm just here for a short amount of time. No, I'll learn on my own. Thanks."

Lucca found her way to the desired location and walked into the room. She undressed herself and stepped into the shower, with only Crono on her mind. "How long are you going to play hard-to-get, boy? Sooner or later, you'll be engulfed by my burning flame."

* * *

The day at best had been extremely awkward. Every time he would look at Marle, he'd see Lucca's face. And every time he'd look at Lucca, he'd see Marle's face. To his surprise and relief, Lucca hadn't made a move on him all day. Maybe she _finally_ caught the hint? Or maybe she was just biding her time. Waiting for... something. Whatever she was doing, he was wary of it and he wanted it over with one way or the other. And hopefully that way would be the way he wanted; but now he had no idea what he wanted. He always thought Marle was all he wanted, all he needed. She was so beautiful inside and out, and he loved her playful manner. How her cheerful and carefree attitude would always make him feel eased and comforted, just everything about her made him feel so wonderful.

Then, in the recent days, especially the ones since Lucca's boarding, she had become very protective over him. And at times, hostile and possessive. Crono couldn't understand why Marle would act that way, he promised her that he'd always be by her side. She brought up the day he died, and since he was saved, he didn't have any memory of it. He always assumed that it was so heart-wrenching that he would never want to put her _or_ Lucca through something like that ever again.

Lucca. Stupid girl wouldn't get out of his head. He couldn't really blame himself, though. He'd known her all his life, so a part of her was always with him. She must have known this too, because that's how she was able to pull him into her so easily. Well, partly because he unconsciously allowed it to happen, childhood memories being brought into view again and with them the burning questions about many different scenarios he could have taken with her. She was a pain! A cute, attractive, mysterious girl that he had never seen before. Marle was still the trigger that pulled his heart into hers, but now the both of them were acting rather strangely and he couldn't make sense of any of it.

He loved Marle with an undying passion. He trusted Lucca with his life. One thing was becoming clear; even if he couldn't understand the rest of it. Marle had his heart, but Lucca now had his thoughts. He couldn't even trust himself, since he had never told Marle the truth about their relationship. He never cheated on her or anything that outrageous, but it never felt right with him and now it was boiling inside, like a volcano ready to explode. The unpredictable way Marle was acting now, he could only imagine what would happen once he broke the news to her. What would she think of him? Of Lucca? And maybe even of herself? She was precious. She was the only thing he ever wanted. But Lucca was precious, too. Friends like her are extremely rare. Well, friends like the _old_ Lucca. This new one he was now seeing had him in such confusion, that he couldn't even understand why he was confused.

Crono made a long drawn-out sigh and rolled his shoulders back. Marle would be coming into the spare room soon, since their master bedroom had to be fixed after Marle's indoor snowstorm. The room was in the middle of the same hallway, which meant that it was closer to Lucca's. What on earth was he even thinking when he put that fiery seductress in the same hall as him? That was an easy question, he never thought she'd do something like this. But now that she had, it changed everything. _Everything._

Marle came walking in and was happy to see her husband on the bed patiently waiting for her. She gave a loving smile and Crono answered her with one of his own. It was a forced smile, however, and Marle caught it.

"Crono? What's wrong? Aren't you glad to see me?" she pouted.  
"Yes, of course I am..." he said, hardly convincing.  
"Spill, Crono. Something's on your mind."

_More like ''someone'', Marle..._ "Hey, Marle? Can I talk to you about something?"

"What is it?" she asked, almost as nervous as he was.  
"There's something that you need to know."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Marle clenched her blankets tight after kicking Crono out of the room. She couldn't believe what she heard and after hearing it, there was no way she wanted to look at him straight in the eye. How could he keep something like _that_ secret from her? And after all this time, she thought that she was the only girl on his mind! To his defense, he protested each and every encounter Lucca threw at him. That gained some respect because not every guy would pass up a free opportunity to ''get some.'' His keeping it hidden from her was another story entirely. If it wasn't such a big deal, why did he never tell her? And if it was such a huge issue, why would he still be fighting against it? He had to make a choice one way or the other, and it was quite obvious that he chose her; his wife. His one and only Marle.

"Get out! Just get out of here, Crono!" she had screamed at him with tearful eyes after hearing his story. In hindsight, she should have bolted the door shut and refuse Crono any chance of escape. One could only wonder what he was doing outside of that room now, and she was far too scared to step out and dare to check. Maybe he was all cuddled up nice and cozy by a warm fire in Lucca's arms, or maybe he was by himself practicing his swordplay. Or many, many, many other things he could be doing. She just had no idea; and part of her didn't even want one.

A whole year! _More_ than a year! Crono had told that succubus of a woman plenty of times to just back off, but she never took the hint. For a scientist, she sure was stupid. And _that_ was coming from an airhead! Marle knew she wasn't near as smart as Lucca, but at least she could figure out a few things that girl couldn't understand. Well, it was just like how those current so-called ''scientists'' worked nowadays anyways, yes? They just throw out very important information and claim it to be false when in fact, it could be vital. Lucca was throwing away everything that was once important to her, and it was all for the sake of one kiss. Then that'd lead into another kiss, and into another, and then into...

A teardrop fell from Marle's eye at that last thought, and she buried her head into the covers. "Crono..." her muffled voice cried out, "Where are you Crono?" She slowly sank into her bed, leaving a trail of tears on her pillows as she curled herself underneath the sheets and blankets.

* * *

Crono looked over his shoulders; good, nobody was there. It wouldn't make sense that somebody would be prancing around in the halls at 3AM, so he shouldn't have been worried. All the castle's residents were sound asleep, so he was probably the only idiot left awake. "Lucca tried to kiss me, Marle. On more than one occasion," he recalled telling her back in the bedroom. He then proceeded to finally tell her everything that had been going on, and not to his surprise, she was pretty furious. He'd never seen Marle that steamed up, and he was afraid that she'd actually melt right in front of him. It was his fault he allowed it to go on for over a year; any sensible guy would make sure something like this never happened.

Lucca's secret was finally out, and Crono wished that she had never told him. He walked himself to the empty master dining room and took a seat, slamming his head onto the ornate wooden table. The impact echoed throughout the room as he kept it on the table, unwanting of the headache he had just given himself. He dragged his head left and right across the table until he decided to lift it up and rub the area where it hurt the most. He wanted to bang his head again and hopefully cause enough brain damage to just forget _all_ of this, but that wasn't the best idea in the world and he just gave a loud sigh instead. This was certainly quite the mess he dragged himself in, and now it all got worse. Marle wasn't fond of him at the moment, and Lucca was probably waiting for the ''right'' time to cause some more trouble. Ready to press her short and slender body against his and feel around his waist, waiting for the next passionate scene to happen... Crono shook his head on the matter and tried to think of something different. She wasn't a bombshell like Marle, but she could always catch his eye. In some ways, she actually looked _better_ than Marle. Odd as that seemed. Marle had everything any man could ask for, but Lucca was so different, so... Intriguing. He laughed at the remembrance of his making fun of her smooth legs whenever she wore those tight black shorts. She would always blush at that, and that should have been his clue right then and there.

"Crono, get that out of your mind! You never made a move on Lucca, and Marle took you the very second she locked eyes with you. Get Lucca out of your head, there's no point in thinking about her like that," he told himself. _Yes, Crono. But... What do you think would have happened? _

"I don't like that type of thinking," he said to himself, trying to battle whatever was going on inside of him.

_That's a lie, Crono. That was sexy, wasn't it? You almost gave in to an urge you have long forgotten. What's the harm in giving her the satisfaction? You know you still want it._

"No, I don't."

_Then stop thinking about it, Crono. Get a life, man._

"Marle...just what am I...doing?" he asked.

_You love her, Crono._

"Yes. Yes I do."

_Ah! But you love **her** as well._

"Lucca? Yes, but well... That's a different kind of love and well you see..." he tried to tell himself, as if there was another person talking to him in this room.

_Crono, just shut up and have some fun. Play with fire. May even be electrifying for her. Lightning creates fire, so what are you waiting for?_

"No way! I don't care about her like this! No!" Crono protested, trying to erase every attraction and romantic thought of Lucca out of his brain.

"Come on, Crono. Just one kiss, okay? If you don't like it, I'll leave you alone. I've always wanted just one. A real kiss, Crono. Just between childhood friends if nothing else? It's all I'm asking for. Please," Lucca said that earlier and he was upset with himself because he still couldn't get those words out of his mind. Would she really continue to track him down until he willingly gave her that sought-out kiss?

If so, would all of this finally be over if he gave it to her? She knew that he was married to Marle and that nothing would ever change that, so she'd definitely feel nothing in that kiss. Plenty of childhood friends have kissed before, but usually never in a romantic way. It was more often just a greeting, and the acknowledgement of past years of close friendship. _One_ kiss wouldn't be such a big deal, correct?

One _real_ kiss. One that he actually chose to gave her, and that she actually chose to return. She'd give up on him after that for sure; she'd taste Marle in his mouth, and that'd be the end of it. Lucca's advances would only grow worse over time and he honestly could not figure out how that would even be possible. Lucca was so desperate that she'd stop at nothing to get to him, and that probably meant using every trick she could think of. Crono didn't even want to begin to think about that, but since the topic was already on his mind, it was too late. What would she do, anyways? Sneak up to him in his sleep? Force herself on him like she had done before? Just drop all articles of clothing and expect him to make the next move? Those legs of hers where pretty attractive, alright. She'd probably use them to...

"NO!" he screamed, clutching the sides of his head. "Get out! Get out! Get out! I don't want you in my head, Lucca! Not like this! Just leave me alone! I... I... _I love you, Lucca. _No! No I don't! Not in the way you want me to!" Crono repeated himself over and over, thrashing all about in the empty dining room and somehow managed to not break anything. His thoughts were chaotic. To the point where his fingers were actually scratching at his head, and boring into the skin. He forgot how many times it hurt, and how many times the blood droplets from his self-inflicted wounds fell to the floor, but none of that really mattered. He'd rip his own head off if only to silence the contradictory thoughs and beliefs that were racing inside of it.

What _if_ Lucca was right? What if he gave her that kiss, and there was actually something there? What would he do with Marle? And, on the other side; what would happen if she felt nothing? A kiss is still a kiss, regardless of how close one's friendship may be. Would it be considered cheating? Even if they had spent all their lives together and sometimes let a peck or two hit the other's cheek? It wasn't like he was going to bed her. All she wanted was a kiss. He was sure that nothing would happen, that she'd finally leave him alone once she discovered that. Still, what if something _did_ happen? What would he do then? It was so painful even thinking about it; that was bad enough as it was. Nevermind the pain on his fingers and head, these thoughts were much, much deeper.

He could always just forgo the kiss, no one said anything about him actually having to do it. He wanted to punch himself just from the insane idea. He knew Lucca, though. Perhaps too well, at that. When she wanted something, she usually worked until her spirit was drained until it was finally accomplished. She wouldn't stop trying to get with him, and she even said it herself. If she felt nothing in the kiss, she'd leave him alone. Her heart was crying out just for that one little instant in time and after knowing her for so long, she hated the fact that it was such a hard concept for him to grasp.

"Just one kiss, Crono," he told himself, "after that, she'll leave you alone. You'll go back to Marle, and everything will be fine. Lucca will understand that it was never meant to be, and we can live in harmony. Nothing to worry about. She means nothing to you. Nothing more than a close friend. Marle is the one. The one and only one. Calm your nerves, Crono." He exhaled a deep breath and shifted his eyes to the floor.

"Yeah, but it's still a kiss..."

_Yes, but it's the only way, Crono. She said so herself. Besides, part of you wants it, no?_

"I **don't** know."

_Well, it's time to find out. If it doesn't work, she'll leave you alone. If there is something, well, you're on your own from there. _

"This is so stupid," Crono said under his breath, "I can't just walk on up there and enter her room! Marle would probably see me do that and then it'd all be over for good. Just what am I even doing? This is madness!" He was now regretting offering Lucca a home in the castle and as he walked the darkened halls, he almost crashed into a wall unaware of his surroundings. He rolled his eyes and uttered a curse from it, also releasing all his anger and frustration from his current situation. It felt so unreal and to make matters much worse, he was now picturing himself with either girl whereas before it was only Marle. It _should_ be Marle! He married her, he shared himself with her! They did everything together! Why all of a sudden did his thoughts and feelings gear towards Lucca?

He liked her better when she was just a friend; he was safe back then. This is why he was afraid of girls; he could never understand them. Marle was hard enough to get, and now he had to deal with two females. He slammed his fist onto the wall and it made a loud echo. His skin broke from the impact, and he sheltered the hand into his chest. He never flinched from the pain, but only kept his focus on the bleeding knuckles. "Lucca, I hate it that you love me. You were never supposed to act this way, are you really trying to ruin everything I love? But you're still on my mind and I can't... I can't figure out what I feel about you now. These feelings should only be for Marle, and they still are, but you're trying to strip them away from me. If you keep this up, I'll have no idea what might happen. If this kiss is all you need to shut up and leave me alone, then do I have any choice? I know you will never stop and if this goes on, there's no telling what will unfold."

He hated her. He loved her. He just didn't know _what_ he felt about her. Half of him wouldn't mind being pressed up against her again, and the other half wanted to keep her 20 miles away. He blinked his eyes and broke himself out of his blank stare. If there was only one way to stop this, then he'd have to cave. Lucca was getting progessively worse by each passing day and it probably wouldn't be long before she was walking the floors with hardly anything on. That'd catch his eye alright, but it would also catch Marle's. His home could literally become a bloodbath if he left this alone. He'd have to do it, but Marle mustn't know. She would get the wrong idea and believe that he was cheating on her.

In a way, he was. However, if he didn't give Lucca that one kiss she wanted, this would never leave. He hoped Marle would understand, because his heart and love only belonged to her. "Lucca, where are you? Let's just get this over with, so you can leave me alone. I know that there won't be anything in that kiss no matter how much you long for it. I belong to Marle. Not you."

Now the only thing left to do was to find Lucca, and make sure Marle didn't notice. If she was still in her room, Marle would spot him. If she wasn't, it was a huge castle to search. Even the slightest creaking of the stairwell would alert Marle. She'd think that he was coming up to see her, or the other girl. It was such an ungodly hour, too. He didn't even know anymore, somewhere past 3 in the morning. Maybe even closer to 4:30. His best bet would be to travel down to the basement, and check to see if she was down there working on her machines. Whatever he did, there was no way he could go back upstairs for the remainder of the evening. Lucca had to be stopped, and she'd eventually come down there if she wasn't there already.

He kept silent during the walk and once he got to the entrance to the basement, he cracked his neck and took a deep breath. The lights were already on, so that meant _somebody_ was down there. His heart dropped, a little nervous to who was exactly down there even though there was very little chance it'd be someone other than Lucca. He slowly made his way down, step by step until he finally touched a solid floor. The lights were on in this room, too. Either someone had forgotten to turn everything off, or someone else had decided to turn them on. At first glance, he saw nobody in the room. All that was there were tools and machines of almost every kind. A second look allowed him to discover that none of the boxes remained, and most of the stuff was already set out and pieced back together. Only Lucca could do such a thing. Was she in here?

"Lucca, show yourself. You have to be in here," Crono said with authority. He heard a clanking sound followed by a short yelp and saw Lucca stand up. She was wearing her tanned jacket which was partly unzipped exposing bare skin, and her black shorts. She was surprised to see Crono down here, and the shock made her drop a tool on her foot.

"Crono! What are you doing here?" she gasped, almost acting like her old self.  
"Good. I knew you had to be here. I've been looking for you."  
"Ooh, you have huh?" she flirted.  
"First, what are you doing down here? Everything is out of their boxes!"

"I got bored, Crono. I couldn't sleep. Not when you were so close to me in another room with another girl."

"My WIFE, Lucca!" Crono scolded.  
"Yeah, whatever Crono. Why are you here?"  
"I told Marle everything."

"You **WHAT?**" Lucca shouted, unbelieving of his words.

"Yes, Lucca. She knows all you've tried to do."  
"Does she know you're down here?"  
"No... She kicked me out of the room for the night. Look, Lucca. My heart is bound to hers, you understand me? Is there any way you can just let me go? Just be my friend like you always used to be?"

"Like I always used to be, eh? I've always loved you Crono. You just never knew until now."  
"Lucca, please. Is there any way at all I can break you from this? It's hurting all three of us."  
"What do you mean by, 'any way at all,' Crono?" she asked him, pointing to the small spot of revealed skin under her jacket.

Crono sighed. "Lucca, is there a way you could just forsake this insane idea of yours? You know where I stand on this issue."

"Yes, and you know where I stand," she replied, walking a few steps closer to him but still a good distance away.

Crono was afraid. He knew what would happen next, and two warring desires in his heart and mind weakened his resolve. "There isn't any other way, is there?" _Shut up, Crono. Just shut up._

"Silly boy. Isn't that why you came down here? You want to kiss me, Crono. You really, really do."  
"You can't tell me what I want, Lucca."  
"I don't have to. I can read you like an open book. Always have."

_She's got a point, Crono,_ he heard his heart say.

"Lucca if we do this, you must promise me something or else you can just forget it."  
"Oh? And what would that be?" _Do you want to play with fire, Crono?_

"When, and I do mean when, you feel absolutely nothing in that kiss which I know you will, you'll stop trying to get inbetween me and my Marle."  
"And what if there is something, Crono?"  
"There won't be. I love Marle."

"You love me too."

"Yes, well... Not in the way you think!" _Now, I don't even know!_

"We'll see about that one, Lover." Lucca walked up to him and somehow had Crono paralyzed, as he couldn't move away. He knew what was going to happen and he didn't want it, but at the same time, he kind of did. She tightly locked her arms around his waist and gently brushed up against him, moving her body up and down. "Do it, Crono," she told him.

He held her in embrace as well, and the two were focused onto each other's eyes. It was exactly like last time, but only this time, he accepted her warm touch. She gave a sexy smile and that caused Crono to blush.

"You're blushing, babe," she said.  
"Yeah..."  
"Kiss me like you mean it, Crono. I don't want some stupid half-second peck. After I'm done with you, you'll want more."

"Lucca, I don't know..." Crono's red face turned away. The girl in his arms turned his head back to her with her palm and smiled. Unknowingly, he returned the smile and that got her anxious.  
"So, Crono, I see it in your eyes and feel it in your heartbeat. Are you going to kiss me or not?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

It was an awkward kiss. It wasn't hot, it wasn't horrible. She thought that she had finally dominated his will but when he actually _wanted_ to give her the kiss, something completely different clicked inside her head. She had the scene already played out for years: He would kiss her, she'd kiss him back and before he knew it, they'd both be on top of each other. That's what she wanted.

She still wanted it, but something inside of her quenched her flame. It was only for an instant, but it was long enough to make her hate herself. Crono loved her, he really did. She always thought it was a romantic love like hers, but that kiss made it feel like it wasn't. Like he was kissing a best friend, not a mate. Then again, there was also intimacy in that kiss he gave her. Like it was the kiss that he was always going to give her if he ever _did _kiss her.

Well, he did. He didn't even speak of Marle the rest of the night. He was ashamed, but he was also electrified. It lasted longer than she had expected, too. It was an amazing, loving, yet very awkward kiss. One that was still very unsure, but also hinted that it was possible they could be more. Or could have been more. Whatever it was, Lucca had broken a part of him, and it was only a matter of time. He'd have to choose between her and Marle, and quite frankly, even though she didn't have a hot body like Marle, her fire would always burn hotter.

It wasn't enough to know a final conclusion, but it was at least something. Surprisingly, it actually made her re-think that dark fantasy of hers. If this was the way Crono would always kiss her, it wouldn't turn her on. However, if he was only nervous on his first try, the second may in fact be much better. He had to get used to her, after all. Maybe it was her own fault? Crono was the first boy she ever kissed. The only boy she ever wanted to kiss. She had her wish, but her dream wasn't fulfilled. Not yet, at least. It was promising. It was uncertain. It was hot just thinking about it. The unknown outcome only pushed her forward, realizing that it could go either way and would be well worth the triumph. It was true that Crono only kissed her because he wanted her to leave him alone and let him and Marle be unaffected by her presence. He just wanted to get it over with so that she could stop bugging him once nothing was felt, and everything would fall back into his perfect little world.

But it _wasn't_ his world; she lived in there, too. And there was definitely more in that kiss than he wanted to admit, or that he couldn't admit. She smirked at the thought; she was doing exactly what Crono wanted her to. If there was nothing in that kiss, she'd leave him alone. Problem was, there _had_ been something, even though she couldn't figure out what that ''something'' was. Maybe he was right and that she was never meant to be with him, but she couldn't accept that. It was improbable, and in her mind, she already had the equation thought out. She had been acting fierce, and it was the total opposite of what Crono always knew about her. An idea sparked in her head from that thought and she raised a finger to her lip, playing around with it in her silence.

If she could act the part, she'd return back to that boring no-fun Lucca, and that'd definitely make him wonder what was going on. In fact, she'd let _him_ make the moves from now on, she wanted to know what he'd actually do. Yeah, she'll make a few non-verbal slight suggestions, but he'd have to do all the work. It'd be more fun this way, and it'd actually make him want her. Half of him already did, it was only Marle that was holding him back. He felt committed to her, only because he married her. He loved her or whatever, but he also loved his best friend.

Lucca slammed her fist onto the tiled basement floor at the thought of Marle. They had been really good friends, but ever since she stole Crono, Lucca always thought different of her. Crono was **her** Crono because that maiden of winter never grew up with him. An orchestrated bump and quick look down her shirt was all that she needed for Crono to fall for her. No, that wasn't 100% correct, though it had played a factor. Crono fell in love with _Marle_, not how she looked. Of course, appearance certainly had it's role, but the soul of a person is what truly mattered. For some stupid reason Lucca could never figure out, Crono liked what he saw in that ice princess, even though he saw Lucca every day.

By rights, Crono was hers. Marle didn't deserve him, she barely even knew him! If he was going to be with anybody, he'd be with Lucca. Every other possibility was an impossible deduction, and flawed to the core. Marle was stupid, Lucca was smart. Marle was hot, but Lucca could set Crono's heart on fire.

"You're mine, Crono," she spoke even though she was the only one in the room, "And you'll get that through your head one way or the other. Or you'll get it through something _else_ to have me inside of you. It's all up to you now, Crono. Show me how much you truly love me."

* * *

Marle woke up with an undying hatred towards her good friend Lucca. _Former_ good friend. Anybody who tried to do that to her Crono wasn't deserving of her friendship, and should thank themselves lucky that they hadn't been kicked out of the castle yet. Oh, but she was tempted! Lucca was riding the line on her patience and just the slightest little quirk or mistake would get her booted out. Marle even possessed the power to ban her from the castle; just one word and Lucca would never set foot into it again. She should do it, just forbid Lucca to even come anywhere near Crono. She had a few words to speak with him, as well. It was a good thing he always said no to Lucca, Marle wouldn't know what to do if he had actually kissed her. She knew Crono better than that, and he would never do such a thing. Despite what Lucca thought, Marle knew a lot about him.

Did that flat-chested, four-eyed, shy little girl actually think she had a chance with him? That was daft, even for Lucca. So what if they had grown up together? Was that supposed to mean something? She married him! That alone should have proved that she knew Crono best. And she knew about other things Lucca never saw, at that. Screw a whole life of friendship, he was practically married to her the moment he saw her precious blue eyes. That was something Lucca could never do. A whole life of friendship, and Crono never thought of her as anything more. Within a few minutes, he was entranced by Marle, and every little thing about her. If that wasn't true love, then nothing was.

Lucca couldn't get with him for over 18 years and Marle had him almost instantly. Crono was **hers**, and nobody else's. If Lucca made just one tiny little slip up, she'd be out of the castle. And out of their lives for good. Marle had enough of her, she couldn't even stand being under the same roof as her anymore. Lucca had one last chance. If she even touched Crono's shirt, much less his skin, she'd be going back to that old shack of hers and remain lonely. Marle was going to make sure of that, and Crono had better watch himself, too. If he got in bed with Lucca, she'd kick the both of them out.

Hopefully, it'd never come down to that. She loved Crono with every atom of her body and every feeling of her soul. She knew that Crono loved her too, and would always hold her in his arms. The time on the wall claimed 10AM and she rolled her eyes. "Slept in too late. Stupid Crono..."

Marle wasn't herself as she almost tripped out of bed. The bedcovers had caught her foot as she exited, and nearly landed her face-first onto the bedroom floor. In a childish fit, she casted a spell which projected hundreds of small icicles all over the room. She panted after her outburst and brushed her hair back. Her eye twitched in angst, and she stormed out the door; nightgown and all.

She didn't know where she was going or exactly why she was going there in her current attire. Perhaps she should turn around and actually put on something decent? As if! This was _**her**_ castle, and she could do whatever she pleased! Plus, if Crono came around and saw her in that elegant silver cloth, he'd forget about everything that ever existed except for her. That'd teach Lucca a lesson! If luck would have it, that tiny girl would actually catch her mid-kiss with Crono. That'd be cool. Yes, freeze that girl's bones in place knowing that she could never touch Crono's lips. Or any other part of him.

Now that she had those two unwillingly on her mind, where were they? She knew where they _shouldn't_ be, at least. She was still ''seeing red'' so to speak as her anger felt like a fire burning her away, and she bumped into the king himself.

"Nadia! What are you doing out in such revealing clothing? Keep matters between you and Crono to yourselves! A princess should not be acting this way."  
"Yeah...Crono..." Marle said with her head down and turned away.  
"Hm? Marital problems already, dear?" her father asked, somehow being able to understand these things. Marle blushed and began to stutter.  
"C-Crono? No, I d-didn't say anything about-t himm..."

"You don't have to. Daddy knows his little girl. Tell me, what's going on?"  
"I kicked him out of the room last night, Daddy," she said with some hostility.  
"Oh no! Where is he?"  
"I don't know."  
"You mean he isn't with you? That's peculiar, I haven't seen him all morning."

"And––Lucca?" Marle asked with hesitation in her voice.

"Haven't seen her, either. What's going on?" King Guardia was now looking worried.  
"I don't know," Marle repeated, as if she was one of Lucca's defective machines.  
"You must know something, dearest. Would you have me order the guards to search the towers for them both?"

"No! Don't do that!" she gasped, remembering the _last_ time the guards detained her husband; she never did forgive them for that.

"Then what?"  
"Just... Back off, okay?"  
"Pardon, young lady?" her father responded with a cold and harsh tone.

Marle was shocked by her words, and by the strength she had said them. Her remembrance of Crono's detention and the recent cold, hard truth turned her heart frigid, and kept her spirit frozen in anger as she looked her father in the eyes.

"I hate it," she said with a piercing scowl, and clenched her fist. Not at all how a princess should act, even if she was more of a tomboy and a flirt than anything else.

King Guardia touched his daughter's shoulder and pulled her into him, giving her a warm and loving hug. It melted away some of the ice in her heart, but it was foolish to say all had been forgiven. She had no idea what to even think. Did she hate Lucca, now? For that matter, did she hate Crono? He hadn't told her what was going on for over a year, and there was still stuff happening even before the marriage. With those thoughts, she broke down and cried like the little girl she used to be.

After she wept, she looked up and gently pulled herself away from her father's hold. "Thanks, Daddy... I should change... Not feeling so well today." _That's saying it pretty lightly, Marle. You have no idea __**what**__ you are feeling._

There was no more talking after that as she walked back up the stairs without turning around to see her father behind her. In all truth, she really didn't want to see _anyone_ the rest of the day. Just change into something presentable like a shirt and some pants, and then keep to herself until the evening came. Maybe she'd even shake things up a bit; actually wear a princess' dress like the generic stereotype. That light blue one with the white piping would look fabulous on her. Then again, _everything _looked fabulous on her. That's what she had, and no amount of genius could ever overpower that. She was a goddess. Plain and simple. Crono would be an idiot to shack up with a girl like Lucca.

She reached the final step and the moment she touched the hallway with her heels, she heard a door slam closed. It was uncanny timing, and it caught her attention. The sound came near Lucca's room, and Marle wasted no time in getting there. She was upset with that so-called friend of hers. If she was in that room, she'd definitely prove to her why water was fire's worst enemy.

"Lucca? That you? You better open this door, girl!" she shouted as her hand grabbed the door handle. There was no response. "Alright, fine! I'm coming in!" She jiggled the handle and it was locked. No surprise. "Ha, gotta do better than that, Lucca." Marle took her skeleton key out from the only pocket in her nightgown and smirked as she inserted it into the keyhole. Once the bolt unlocked, Marle kicked the door in as the handle turned and she was met with Lucca, who was clad in very tight shorts and bra.

Just what was going on?

"Kinda skimpy, don't you think?" Marle asked her with malice and an already assumed position on _why_ she was dressed that way.  
"You're one to talk, hot stuff," Lucca said with a wink as she pointed to Marle's revealing nightgown.  
"Shut up, Lucca. What are you doing?" Marle now asked, raising her temper.  
"It's my room, Marle. I can wear whatever I want in it."

"It's **my** room, Lucca! Just like everything else in this castle! This guest bedroom, all the other rooms, and every single inch of this castle. You don't even belong in here."

Lucca replied with a demon's smile. "Crono invited me here, Marle. I'm allowed to go wherever I want in this castle."

Marle gave an icy stare and Lucca could see faint hints of crystals swirling around her fingers. "Want to run that by me again, Glasses?"

Lucca, unfazed by Marle's cold remark, circled her tongue around her lips and readjusted her spectacles. "He kissed me, Marle."

It took a few seconds for those words to even register any affect inside her brain. At first, they were automatically dismissed and regarded as absurd, but they still felt heavy. Crono would never do such a thing, he was only faithful to her. Nobody else. How could Lucca's words be true? But then again, how could they feel so real?

"You lie," Marle said as an instinctive response.

Lucca placed a finger in her mouth and gave Marle the quite provocative look. "You wanted me to tell you the truth, didn't you? You just never told me _when_ I had to say it."

"You! You tricked him!" Marle shouted, recalling the stories Crono told her.

"A trick? Oh no... He actually came by his own will, this time. Granted, he didn't _really_ want to do it, but I would never leave him alone until he did. Regardless, Marle, Crono kissed me of his own accord, and I've loved him since the first memory I've had of him. That's what? 19 years? You've only known him for three. Step off, Marle. Crono's mine." With that, Lucca rolled over to her stomach and propped her head up with her arms rested on the end of her bed. The smirk she gave next is what drove Marle over the edge.

"What if I freeze that half-naked ugly body of yours, Lucca? You wouldn't be kissing anybody then."  
"Marle, you really are stupid. I'd melt you into a watery puddle before that even happened."  
"You like to try? Kill the royal heir to the throne along with Crono's wife? I can get away with anything, Lucca. It'd be extremely easy to write off your death as an accident of sorts. Don't screw with me."

"How about Crono, instead?" Lucca replied with a devious laugh. That spiked Marle's fury and before Lucca could even take her next breath, Marle's icy clutch was around her neck. "Your skin feels pretty smooth there, Lucca. It'd be a real shame if something happened to it." She squeezed until she heard Lucca cough and then tossed her onto the floor. She waited for her to stand back up, but Lucca remained stationary on the wooden surface. Coming back to her senses and realizing what she had just done, Marle gasped for air and ran to her friend's side.

"Lucca! Lucca! Are you okay? Talk to me, don't just lay there!"

Lucca squirmed a little and mumbled something as her face was still pressed against the floor.

"What did you say?" Marle asked.

Lucca slowly turned over to her back, and then rolled onto her side facing Marle. "Do you want to play with fire, Marle?"

"Hm? Excuse me?" Marle asked, tapping her foot.

"I know your brain doesn't work, you busty moron, but your ears are still connected to your face. You heard me."  
"No. What do you mean?" Marle said, backing towards the door.  
"Hmm... What do I mean? Lemme see..." Lucca ignited a small ball of flame in her palm and closed her fist only to extinguish it a few seconds after it was born. "Do you want to find out?"

"Lucca... No... Not like this, please. I think we both got a little carried away here, we can be civil, right?"

"Where's the fun in that?"  
"Lucca! WHO are you? This is not the Lucca I adventured with!"  
"Sure it is, stupid. I just never did anything about it until now."  
"Lucca..."

"What are you going to do, Marle? You going to freeze me in place? Let me go? Crono isn't too far away, he'll have to sleep with _someone_ tonight."

Marle lost all sense of dignity, compassion, and empathy she had at that moment. This girl, this _thing_, wasn't going to get her Crono. She wouldn't allow it, and she'd do it by any means necessary; even if she would have to cry her way through it.

"Lucca, all it takes is just a few seconds for me to freeze everything in your body. Nothing would work. No blood vessels, no muscles, no organs, no anything. You better obey the princess if you know what's good for you."

"That's kind of dark for you, isn't it Marle? You don't have the spark."

"He doesn't love you, Lucca. He married me! Just take your second-rate body and walk it out this door. Or I'll push you through it."

"You're all about the looks, aren't you? Funny, because that's _all_ you have. You're irrational and stupid. I don't know what charming spell you casted on him, but that won't last much longer. I know him better than you ever will, no matter how many nights you spend with him. You're not hot enough."

Marle, who was now beyond any form of logical debate and filled with emotion, shoved Lucca up against a frozen wall she had now just created. Lucca's crass smile enraged her even farther. "This is it, Lucca. You touch him one more time... A hug, a poke, anything, and I'll have you banished from my sight. Forever. I won't let him touch you, either. You'll be lucky enough if I even allow him to greet you every morning. Girl, at this point, even a wave hello is riding on the line."

Lucca smiled wryly and put her hands onto Marle's forearms. "He kissed me once, Marle. He'll do it again. And again, and again, and again. You can't control him, or demand anything from him. He'll do whatever he wants, and he'll come back for more." Lucca heated the palms of her hands and singed Marle's skin as she pulled away her arms in pain.

Marle hugged her arms into her breasts and used her magic to cool the burn. Steam rose into the air from her skin, and her arms and legs trembled. She shot Lucca a hateful glare and voiced her words. "What's your damage? What's wrong with you, Lucca!"

Lucca gave a short laugh and cocked her head, placing her hand on her chin. "If you liked that skin job, Marle, I can do your hair next. Whaddia say?" Lucca spirited fire inside her right palm and allowed the flame to dance around her fingers.

"Lucca, you're sick and twisted! Get out of here! NOW!"

"Oh just shut up, Marle. I'm not going anywhere. Crono still wants me to stay."

Marle's emotional stress up to this point had been subdued, but Lucca's words and actions were finally too much for the fragile girl to take, and she shattered. She looked at Lucca with crystal tears in her eyes and wanted to say so many words; both of love and hate, but she couldn't utter a single sound other than the choking cries. Lucca knew she had her beat and condescended to her by placing an arm on her shoulder and faking a concerned look on her face.

Marle smiled at this at first, but was brought back to her senses and knocked Lucca's hand away. She ran out of the room in a frantic state, and Lucca felt satisfied as she heard the distant weeping of a once good friend.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Crono was up all night. He could tell by the way Marle was acting that he shouldn't be in the same room as her, so he had walked outside under the full moon sky. He brought his sword along, too; he wanted to practice his skill and get his mind off of anything else. He missed the days where he would spar against Frog and they would enhance each other's skills. The two of them were quite nimble and agile, and they'd often have trouble besting the other. They were excellent fights; the kind that a man always longed for. They were fierce. They were kind. They were two kindred souls longing to feel the touch of another's blade. Those were days of glory and of danger, and he actually missed the thrill of doing battle.

He'd much rather take on Lavos again than deal with Marle or Lucca, as insane as that sounded. Such a typical male response, too. He understood how to fight, but he never understood women. The night grew cold as he fenced against an imaginary foe, and every forceful swing cut through his troubled thoughts and emotions. At one point during the night, his blade had actually severed the images of Lucca and Marle as they both randomly appeared out of nowhere in front of his mental adversary. The ethereal sounds of their screams played out in his mind, and he released his grasp on the hilt of his weapon. The blade fell down with a soft clang, being cushioned by the grass and Crono's eyes followed its glimmer on the tip of its well-forged steel under the moonlight.

The shining glisten distracted his eyes for a moment, and he blinked to refocus. It was raining at that time, as if his own emotions caused the storm to swell. The lightning struck all around him, and it even felt like his own magic was contributing to the tenacious clouds. In fact, it probably had. The raging sounds around him seemed to echo the feelings in his knotted heart. Rain came after lightning, but it was also said that lightning could start fires. Water _and_ fire... Why did it have to be both? That thought stuck with him the rest of the night and now this morning, it had decided to come back and torment him.

The thought itself shouldn't have even been inside his mind; he was married to Marle. Lucca was a childhood friend, but she could never be anything more. That's what he told himself all these years, but that one single burning question had left its mark on both his heart and his brain. "If you never met Marle, would you have married me instead?" How could he answer that question? He never gave her a definite answer, either. He would just walk away or automatically change the subject, fearing what his words may actually say.

"Kiss me like you mean it, Crono," the words of his best friend sounded in his ears. He turned around to see her behind him, but there was nobody there. He tapped his head remembering where he actually was: in his private study with the door locked. He came back inside very early in the morning after he had enough of the rain, and crashed onto the floor almost the very instant he closed and locked the door behind him. There was no one else in here but him, and he smiled while rolling his eyes thinking that he actually heard a voice.

"Kiss me like you mean it, Crono."

"I already _did_ kiss you, Lucca. And I still don't know why I even did it. You've been on my mind ever since and those haunting words are tickling my lips. I hate it. Marle doesn't like it, either, and I have no idea what I'm going to do with her. Lucca, you're confusing me and putting weird ideas in my head- reigniting some of those snuffed out feelings I once held for you... That was the past, and for some reason, you're still acting like it's the present and well... It's starting to feel like that."

Exasperated, Crono slammed his head on the desk and the impact made him see stars, and a tingling sensation was felt throughout his arms. He gave a long drawn-out sigh followed by a few groans of pain. He kept it there for a little while until a knock on the door was heard. He lifted up his head and rubbed it to make sure he wasn't hearing things, and the knock was heard again.

"Who's there?"

* * *

The king, who was occupied with his recent work, had forsaken it all today as he thought about what was happening to his daughter. What was happening to all of them, really. From what he could tell, Lucca seemed to be at the root of all of this. Nadia was happy every day for the past year ever since she was wed to Crono. He liked him, too. Crono was a very devout man and very responsible, whenever he chose to be. Sometimes that attitude would get in the way, but he was still a man to be trusted. If Nadia loved him, he would accept him into his family and the time had almost come for Crono to take over the throne. He wanted him there too, but now he wasn't so sure. Crono had made his daughter cry, and hardly anyone got away with that. Yet, at the same time, he was his daughter's love, and Nadia still hadn't forgiven him or the other guards from their ''little'' stunt they pulled some 3 years ago.

Nadia didn't want to see him or anyone else last night, and since it was now mid-morning, he surmised that she might have cooled off. He didn't know where Crono was and even if he did, he would not know what to do or say. Crono was a loyal knight of the family and it'd be rude to just assume and blame Crono for everything if he never did it to begin with. Then again, Nadia was _his_ daughter, and no one made her feel like that. She was his princess, and he would never forget that.

Lucca wasn't seen either, but he was more concerned about Nadia than anyone else as he made his way up the long staircase to her bedroom. To his surprise, her door was left ajar and he could see the light escaping through it's small opening. He announced his presence before entering, and he saw his girl asleep in her bed. He walked a few feet toward her and she made a sound. "Daddy?"

"Hey, Princess. What's wrong?"

Marle had forgotten to the best of her ability all the events that happened the other day. Her little fight with Lucca, her yelling at Crono, just everything that made her seem so worthless to just about anybody. Crono wouldn't come in last night, and she was worried about him. He thought she didn't want to see him but the truth was, she really did. Her imagination went everywhere she didn't want it to about what he was doing; and what Lucca was doing. Lucca. That girl had been trouble the very instant she came into the castle, and part of Marle wanted to throw her out of the window many times. She couldn't, though. Lucca had once shared a deep connection with her, and she was much too nice to even attempt such a horrible action. Then again, she recently threatened Lucca.

"_Lucca, all it takes is just a few seconds for me to freeze everything in your body. Nothing would work. No blood vessels, no muscles, no organs, no anything. You better obey the princess if you know what's good for you."_

"_That's kind of dark for you, isn't it Marle? You don't have the spark."_

Spark? What spark? She didn't need any type of spark. She could just extinguish Lucca's flame within her cold presence. If Lucca didn't have any oxygen to light a fire, well...

Marle looked at her father and tried to brush away the sleepiness in her eyes. "What time is it?" she asked, ignoring her father's previous statement. The king looked into his Nadia's eyes and smiled.

"It's around 10:00, dear. What made you sleep in so late?"  
Marle jolted her head back in response to his question. "I don't know..."  
"You sure? You don't look too good."  
"I don't know!" Marle squealed, "I just don't know anymore, Daddy. Have you, well..."

"Yes?"

"It's weird. Have you ever loved somebody and knew that they loved you back but at the same time, something dark and scary is creeping around in your brain suggesting that maybe it was all untrue?"

"What? I loved your mother. Down to the very last second she spent on this ground."  
"Yeah, but Crono–and–Lucca–and...and..." Marle's voice became a bit raspy from those words, and Guardia knew something was going on.  
"Lucca? What did she do?"

Marle, still in her bed, got out and hugged her father tightly. "Did you ever think that I stole Crono?"

"What?" he replied in confusion.

"Crono. I saw him once and immediately became attracted to him. But Lucca, well, she's loved him all her life and... She kissed him because she wouldn't leave him alone otherwise, and I'm wondering if well... If he loves her more than me then..."

Marle went on to tell her father all that had been happening between her and the others. She spared no detail, and even ended with Lucca's hateful spite that made her cry. Her father held a stern look in his eyes, and hated the fact that his little girl was experiencing such traumatic pain.

"Nadia, I no longer permit Lucca to live in my castle. I will tell her immediately. I've had enough of her."

* * *

"What did you say, Crono?" Lucca asked.  
"I've had enough of you."  
"What? But Crono!" Lucca protested as a friend; not as the lovestruck determined woman.  
"You heard me! You're confusing me, Lucca. And you're also making Marle worry and hate me. I want out of this little farce right now, understand? I can't allow you to keep doing this to me."

"But... Crono?" she said, almost reminding him of the person she used to be.  
"I'm serious, Lucca! I can't let you stay here anymore!"  
"Aww, why not?"  
"Stop your pouting, Lucca. You can't stay here. Not when you... confuse my heart."

_I confuse you, Crono? So baby, that fire of yours now burning? _"What do you mean?"

Silent, Crono walked to his office door and turned the lock, so that nobody from the outside could enter in. "We need to talk."

"Confessing your love, eh Crono?" she flirted.

Again, he ignored the issue. "Lucca, I think you're not able to get out of the past. Somehow, you have it in your head that we could have been something during those years."

"Hm? You thought it too, Crono. Don't lie and say you haven't."

She had him there, he couldn't deny or confirm that statement. All he understood that it was a little bit of both. "Yeah, well, maybe."

_Maybe, Crono? Oooh._

"Crono, just give it up. It is impossible for you to have fallen in love with Marle 5 minutes after meeting her when you looked at me for all those years. She may be married to you, but I know you better than anybody else. And I also know that there's something in your mind telling you that it doesn't make much sense, either."

"It doesn't have to, Lucca! It's love!"

"It's love because she loved you first, boy. You only forced yourself to love her back. I've seen the way you look at me and wonder. That's why you locked us in this room. A handsome knight with a charming cutie all alone. So tell me, Crono. Why _don't_ you love me?"

Crono's face turned a very bright red. "That's!"

"Yes?"

_Shut up, Crono. You really **do** love her. _"You're...I...yes..."

"Yes, what?"

"I've always loved you Lucca, but nothing more as a friend." _Liar, Crono. There was that one time._

"You're such a horrible liar, Crono. There's something you've always wanted, but you then tried to forget about it when you were married. That's half the reason you invited me over to begin with, even though I cannot read your thoughts, those eyes of yours are always reflecting my image."

"Because you're always standing right in front of me! Just leave me alone before I..."

Lucca climbed onto his desk and bent down on her knees, thrusting her body forward with her hands clutching the wooden edges. "Before you what, Crono?"

"Kiss you... Again..."

"Oh, you want to?" Lucca said with a devilish smirk now turning back into her darkened self.  
"No, I don't. But you...and last time..."

"The last time was only half-assed, Crono. I want it for real. The same way you'd kiss Marle, only better. I want to feel it and taste it all in my mouth, lover. Your body is wanting it, I can tell just by looking at you."

"But I love Marle!"

"No you don't. You only love her because you're married to her. Take me, Crono. You've wanted it for so long, and I've wanted it for even longer. That big-breasted princess doesn't really have much going for her except for those looks. I'm not that bad looking either, Crono. And..." she crawled up to his ear and whispered, "I can give you so much more."

Her smile and all familiar perfume entranced Crono yet once again. All of those memories, thoughts, and dreams about her all filled into one space in his mind, and he couldn't control it. He let them all come in as she slowly drew closer to him, stopping a nose length's away from his lips. She was waiting for him to finish the movement, just like he did the last time.

The next thing Crono knew, he was engaged in a burning kiss with his life-long friend. He wanted to stop it, but he couldn't. He didn't want to stop it, and let it happen. There was a knocking on his door, but he never heard it as his world was taken away.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

The knock on the door became louder as Lucca's hands wrapped themselves around Crono's waist. They were still kissing, to her surprise. Did Crono even know what was going on? That it was _her_? Wait, why did it even matter? He was kissing her! She brought him close and escaped from his lips as she rested her head on his bosom. The knock became a pounding with a woman's voice being heard on the other end. The sound forced Crono to blink and he looked down and noticed that Lucca was in his arms, and resting on his chest.

Lucca? When did she even get in here, and how long was she standing there under his arms? Forget that, what where they doing? He felt something on his mouth and with another glance at the pretty girl, she gave a beaming smile. He had kissed her! Crazy thing was, it felt normal. Pre-destined, so-to-speak. He shook that idea out of his head and pushed Lucca back.

"Hey!" she yelled at him.  
"Lucca, quiet," he told her by putting a finger on her lips. "Who's there?"

Nobody answered.

"Hello?"

Still no response. Lucca became bored with waiting and wrapped herself around Crono. "Wanna continue?"

For the first time, her proposal actually felt tempting. All the other times he was able to write her off with very minimal trouble but now everything was different. Now, he wanted to know. He stared into her eyes and she gave a foxy grin as a response. "You don't have all day to think about it, Crono. You want me or not?"

Crono closed his eyes and pried her slender body away from him. It was a close call, any longer and it'd be harder to look away. "Lucca, that's it."

"What?" she said with a blink.  
"That was it, Lucca. You had that kiss of yours. Now just get out of here."  
"Huh? What is this, Crono? Role play?"  
"No. I'm married, Lucca. You don't have my trust anymore because of this. Leave before you get into trouble. I won't speak anything of this so you'll be safe."

"Safe? Where's the fun in that? I-want-every-one-to-know," she said with brief provocative pauses as she walked her fingers up from his chest to his mouth. He immediately turned himself around so that his back was facing her front. "Lucca... This... It's dangerous."

"Whaa? You're playing with my fire, Crono. I never said it'd be a gentle flame."  
"Leave me alone!" Crono shouted, pushing her into the wall.

"Hey! What's with you? Just admit it already, why don't ya? Just listen to yourself! That same mouth you kissed me with is now telling me to get lost. I'm not saying I'm surprised, Crono, but you really need to get your act together! You still hung-up about being married? To _her?_ Gah, Crono. You really burn me up sometimes! Just ice that snow girl already. She can't possibly offer you what I am."

"And what _are_ you offering, Lucca?" _What! No! I did not just ask that! But still... She's kinda...  
_"Aha! It's on your mind, just like I thought. Well, maybe I shouldn't tell you then. Some things are better known through experience than they are through words."

Either she took his breath away, or she had stunned him by the thought. He couldn't speak a word, and Lucca smirked. "I'll make you so hot that I'll melt any trace of your precious ice princess. She doesn't have the spark I have, Crono. And gathered from the way you're looking at me, you know it. Tell me, kido. Was that kiss just now nothing but a lie? Because it felt quite real to me."

"A-A lie?" Crono stuttered.  
"I don't know. You're the one answering the question."  
"No," he spoke softly hoping she wouldn't hear it, but her ears caught the sound regardless.

"Hahaha! So, what's next? Phase 2 of our little romance experiment?"

Crono literally slapped himself across the face to get his mind back to where it should have been all along. "No. Someone was knocking on the door, I need to see who it is."

"Need?" Lucca said under her breath as he walked towards the door, "I'll tell you what you need..."

He unlatched the door and upon its opening, the only thing he saw was a bare hallway. Strange, he knew someone was at the other end and they even sounded like Marle. Did she know that they were in here? That Lucca was electrifying his soul? He hoped she didn't know; Lucca wasn't supposed to be doing this. And he wasn't supposed to be feeling it. It was hot, she was hot. But it was wrong. Or was it? He had always wondered and now there she was, throwing herself at him. She was his already, he only had to take her. "Marle," he said.

"What?" Lucca said with a twitch in her eye.  
"Let's stop this right here, Lucca. You're giving me all sorts of crazy thoughts and I'm devoted to my wife."  
"So?"  
"You know what I'm trying to say, Lucca!"

"Oh please, Crono. You're not even living by that. I know you enjoyed what we just did. I can't make this any easier for you. I wouldn't even mind if we got it on right here and now."

"Lucca!"  
"What? You're thinking it too. Stop lying to yourself!"

Crono sighed and turned his back to her as he walked out of the room. "Lucca, the only one lying to themselves is you." He walked away, but that didn't stop Lucca from smiling. She'll let him walk away this time, she knew where to find him and it was only a matter of time. She got inside his heart, and sent an energizing jolt through his body. The next time for sure. The next time, they'd be on top of each other just like in her fantasies.

* * *

She could hear them outside of that door; that's why she walked away. Lucca's giggling, Crono's heavy breathing, there was only one thing they could have been doing in there; especially since that door was locked. Lucca was stealing her Crono and using his past memories of her just like wood to stoke that putrid fire. Marle couldn't believe that at one point the two them used to be friends. She was having her doubts about Crono now, too. His life he shared with Lucca was always a haunting thought, and now it looked like that she-devil of a woman was taking advantage over it, and succumbing Crono into her evil trap.

Marle had to win Crono back somehow, this little escapade wasn't his fault. At least, she hoped it wasn't. Crono was always the faithful husband and even though he got a few looks from the girls, he never bothered to look them in the eye. He was fine up to this point, too, but something else had happened. She was becoming possessive of him, and a bit out of touch with reality, and she feared that Crono knew. At first, she didn't realize it herself. It all came back to Lucca. Everything. She never acted this way before, and it seemed like she was actually picking up a few things from Lucca; making her angry and violent. She still couldn't shake that scene of her threatening Lucca out of her head. The scary thing was, she actually meant it. Still did, but now she wondered if that option was even right.

Marle felt like a frightened little child and even acted as such. Lucca's words from past conversations still haunted her, and her frail mind was now beginning to believe in them.

"_You expect Crono to love you, Marle? You bumped into him 3 years ago and immediately fell in love? That's purely fictional! Stuff like that never happens in real-life! You're still living in a fairy tale, princess. You stole him from me! How can your 3 years compare to my 21? I know that man's desires, Marle. And you're not one of them."_

Was it really true? If he didn't love her, then why did he even marry her? That had to be a lie, Crono would never lead a girl on like that. That damn Lucca, she didn't know what she was talking about!

Crono was hers! He didn't belong to that girl with glasses. He would always be hers.

"_He kissed me, Marle."_

"Oh, that's right..." Marle said downtrodden as she crashed her head into her pillow. "Crono, why did you do that? It was to get her to leave you alone, right? Nothing more? A kiss between two old friends isn't uncommon, especially since they're close, but that's not right. No, not right at all..." She drifted off to sleep with that last word, and tried to comfort herself in a peaceful sleep.

The next thing she knew was that her bare left shoulder and arm were being caressed by a warm touch. It felt really nice, and she allowed it to continue. So warm, too warm. Hot. So very hot! It was a searing pain now, and Marle leaped out of bed, crippled on the floor from her scalding arm. She focused some of her magic on the burning wound and it's freezing touch sent a knifing pain up and down her arm as the smoke rose to the ceiling. The arm trembled in pain as the burn went away, and Marle's eyes focused in on her attacker's.

"Hello Marle," Lucca said while giving a curtsy.  
"Get out of here," was Marle's cold response. Still cringing on the floor, she moved her damaged side up against the bed frame for comfort and support.  
"Your arm hurt, Marle?" Lucca asked with a wide grin. "That combination of heat and ice probably made that arm of yours dreadfully numb. Bet you can't even move it now, huh?"

Marle winced in pain as she extended her other arm towards Lucca. The air turned cold around her fingers and with a yelp, an ice sphere was formed and projected at Lucca. It made contact with her stomach, but the fire magic surrounding her nullified the attack. Marle widened her eyes at this, and tried to stand up. She was off balance because her left arm and shoulder wouldn't move, and she wobbled back and forth as she found her footing.

"Lucca..." she said as she regained strength.  
"Yes?"  
"Stay away from my husband."  
"It's no use telling _me_ that, girl. You might want to tell him instead."

Marle's heart skipped a beat. "What?"

"Oh Marle. Crono can't stay away from me."  
"Liar!" Marle cried out, almost ready to shed some tears.  
"Oh really? What do you think we were doing in that room, hm? I knew it was you out there, Marle. That's what made it hotter."

"You didn't!" Marle screeched, fearing the worst.

"Haha! Like I'd ever tell you what we do in our secret meetings." _Or what we will do. I almost had your husband in my bed, Marle. What do you think of that?  
_"No! I don't believe it!"  
"Fine then. Don't. I don't really care what you believe. It doesn't change anything."

Marle clenched her fist in anger and twitched a few fingers on her recovering arm. "Lucca..."

"Yes, your royal highness?"  
"Just go to hell!"  
"Hm? Why would you want me to go there, Marle? My flame would only burn greater."  
"You went too far! I will never forgive you for stealing my Crono!"

"YOUR Crono? If memory serves, **Busty**, he's the one who came on to me. Also..." Lucca charged Marle, and the tips of their foreheads touched as she rubbed her hands on Marle's cheeks. "I've known him for a lot longer than you. If he's anyone's, that makes him mine."

"There's no way I'll share him with you!"  
"Share? Who said anything about that? He's all mine. 100%." She closed in and slowly whispered into Marle's ear, "Every part of him."

Marle pulled away from Lucca and to her surprise, had already grabbed a hold of her throat. She had never done anything like that before, but it felt so invigorating, so powerful. She could squeeze Lucca's neck right now and end her life, or even drive a few frozen spikes into her jugular. That would end everything. No! What kind of thinking was that? Especially for her? She didn't have the heart to kill her former friend, even if her mind told her to do so. And she really, really wanted to. Her grasp loosened and Lucca fell to the floor choking.

"My, my. I didn't expect that coming from you at all, Marle. You sure did surprise me. Now friend-"  
"I'm not your friend!" Marle interjected before Lucca could finish her sentence.  
"Well, _whatever_ you are, you're fighting a losing battle here. I've told you before; play with fire and you get burned."  
"Crono's still mine, you know. He'd never leave me for someone like you."

"Oh, he wouldn't? And why is that? Because of your perfect body? If that's all you have to offer him Marle, you might as well have one last night before I take him away. I'm not that bad looking either, girl. I can be quite the flare when I need to be."

"No!" Marle screamed as she tensed up, but also strained her recently burnt then cooled arm. "Ack!" she voiced, almost stumbling.  
"Heh, you're so pathetic. You never tarnished that pretty skin of yours before, have you? I've always been working, you see. Machines, oil, tools, whatever. You're so weak."  
"Lucca... I swear... I'll kill you if you say another word!"  
"Oh! Juicy! I'd love to see you try, _Milady,_" Lucca said in harsh sarcasm.

"Just watch me, I'll-"

The doorknob turned as she was saying this, and the sound caused the both of them to hush. Marle turned her head away from the man standing in front of her and Lucca's eyebrow raised in excitement. "Hey sexy," she antagonized, "ready for more?" Marle remained silent, and Crono noticed a tear running down the side of her face. "Marle?"

The burning pain of what she took as betrayal seared it's way into her gut and she fell on all fours, spitting out saliva.

"Marle? What's going on? Lucca! You do this to her?"  
"Aww, come on Crono. I would never do that to her."  
"Liar..." Marle's voice said hardly above a whisper.  
"What... Just what are you two even doing?"

"Oh, that's simple Crono," Lucca said with a devious smile, "I was only telling Marle how much you love me, and not her."  
"Hey! That's not true!" he protested.  
"It's not? Well then sugar," she said as she touched her lips. "Then what would you call that hot kiss you gave me not too long ago?"

"Crono..." Marle's voice spoke out again, but around the same volume.

"Get away from her!" Crono shouted as he helped his wife back to her feet. He embraced her, but as much as she wanted to stay in his hold forever, she pushed him away.  
"Marle?"  
"Crono, who will it be?"  
"Excuse me?"

"You heard me! You have any idea the hell you're putting me through, dammit? Who's it gonna be?"

"I..."

"You better answer her, Crono," Lucca said as she made her way to him. "After all, you're only going to spend the rest of your life with me."

Crono looked at the two girls and sighed, frantic with terror. She was right, he had to decide. It shouldn't have been an issue in the first place, Marle was his wife, but ever since Lucca joined up with them, it had been different. He felt like he regained something he had lost whenever he was with her, and his encounters with her always sparked intrigue into his mind.

"Time's up, Crono," Marle said. "Is it me or her?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

"Who's it gonna be, Crono?" Marle asked him again as she stared him down.

_The answer should be obvious, Crono!_ he thought. He was married to Marle and had loved her, but he had also loved Lucca (to some extent) as well. He still wanted Marle, he always thought she was his everything; but now she was becoming something completely different. Lucca, with her fiery personality, was now etching her flame onto his heart in quite the beautiful pattern. In truth, he wouldn't mind spending the rest of his days with her, but he just couldn't. He had Marle. Was tied down to Marle. She was also the heir to the kingdom. He would inherit it as well, but there were a few conditions. First, he had to be married to Marle. Second, he had to stay with her. If he left her now, not only would he lose such an extravagant woman, but he'd also lose the kingdom.

She _used_ to be extravagant, that is. Maybe it was his fault? She started acting weird the second Lucca entered into the castle. No, she had been defecting even before then now that he thought about it. It might have even started 3 years ago when he woke up dazed from what seemed like a nightmare. The first thing he saw was Marle's weeping face and then the next thing he knew; she kissed him for the very first time. He never wanted it to stop and when it regrettably did, he could sense a bit of sorrow in Lucca's eyes. He had been satisfied with that kiss, but her face made him think. Was she happy he was back? Happy for Marle? Or was she not happy at all; with him having kissed the wrong girl?

Since then, Marle became overly possessive of him, and very protective; she didn't want to ever see him die again. She would always force him to take her along whenever he wanted to visit Lucca and even though the meetings were pleasant, he could somehow feel Lucca was never too pleased with them. She wanted to be alone with him just as they always had, but that was another time and they were other people. It was no big deal if two kids shared the same room, but it was when they got older.

He could remember Lucca slowly becoming attractive to him over the years and she had always loved him even though he didn't realize it. Marle was becoming much different and although he still held passionate and deep feelings for her, hers were bordering on the edge of insanity. Her over-protective and possessive manner caused her to change greatly and even to the point of her wanting him to _always_ be within her sight. A 24/7 lifestyle with her isn't what he wanted, and he surmised that most people wouldn't want that either. Married or not, every individual deserves at least some allotted time to themselves.

At times, he didn't necessarily mind it. The thought, "This girl is all for me!" would come into his mind and then the nights they shared solidified his thinking. "Even though you're sleeping with Marle, whose name are you _really_ screaming out at night?" Lucca's words came back into play. They made him blink his eyes and refocused him back to reality, where Marle and Lucca both looked at him with big eyes. What was he to say now? "Sorry Lucca, I'm already married to Marle and want to keep her?" or even, "It's over, Marle. You're no longer that girl I once knew?" It was so confusing and he hated it.

It really _was_ his fault, at that. If he never invited Lucca, Marle wouldn't have been driven this crazy this fast even though she had hinted at it on previous occasions. Everything would have been fine. He'd have his wife, his castle, everything he ever thought he wanted. Then again, at one point in his life, he thought Lucca was the only girl he wanted to be with. She might have been, too. If it wasn't for Marle. On that fateful day when they met, he was actually going there to visit Lucca. He had thought about it for days upon days and he had finally bolstered up enough courage to ask her out on a date. They had been childhood friends and he still wasn't too sure if he loved her romantically or not, but he thought one little date wouldn't hurt, and then they both would know.

Then, he bumped into a mysterious jaw-dropping, eye-widening, and heart-stopping young beauty. Almost immediately he seemed to be entranced by her; like he had just seen a goddess. His face turned red when he realized what he accidentally started to stare at, and the girl giggled at his action. She was perfectly fine, but she wanted him to come pick her up and as he did so, she pressed her body up against his for a very brief moment only to see the response she would get out of it. His face was flushed with color and she laughed again. Marle acted the, ''lost, innocent, and confused girl'' and asked Crono if he could escort her through the fair. As a guy, and after bumping into someone like _her_, he'd have to be an imbecile to turn her down. He agreed to it with surprising speed and before he knew it, that girl was now glued to his arm.

It was like her very presence had frozen him in time, and that they were the only two people in the entire world. He had even forgotten about his date proposal to Lucca until they walked up to her new invention and saw her. It was too late at that point, however. That girl, Marle, was so tightly wrapped around his arm, he thought he'd actually lose circulation. To his relief, Marle wanted to try out Lucca's new teleportation device and she let go of his arm. After that, well, that started their entire adventure as they all still well knew.

Lucca had acted differently even then; confused as to why he would go charging blindly forward to rescue some bimbo he had just met. Then again, to some minds, it made perfectly good sense. Meet a girl like _that,_ of course you'd try to get with her! Crono hadn't known until she told him, but Lucca cursed out her machine and herself for allowing something like that to happen. Lucca always made his heart feel so warm and relaxed, and he loved talking with her. That warmth now however, was more like a burning indescribable feeling that led him to want even more. Marle had left him breathless as well, but despite being married to her, his connection with Lucca had always remained stronger. Did that mean something, and was he actually to be with her instead? He'd lose many things if he stayed with her, but if he didn't, he knew that somewhere in his soul a loud cry would never leave him alone and tell him that he sacrificed what he should have had all along.

"Crono! Stop spacing out!" Marle commanded.  
"Huh? What?" he replied, only to anger her even farther.  
"Are you even paying attention? I asked you for confirmation, _darling,_" she said with a very frigid and sarcastic tone.  
"Can I... just talk to you girls separately? It's weird and very uncomfortable with the both of you here."  
"You don't have any right to talk about comfort, Crono," Marle snapped back, "And I'd sooner die than to leave you alone with her for another second."

Lucca perked up after her comment. "Alone? Crono, are you saying that you just want that girl over there out of your sight? My door's already open. Bed's made, too." _I know you want **that** much, at least._

"Lucca! Stop putting words into my mouth!" he yelled.  
"Oh? Well, I can think of a few _other_ uses for your mouth, dear. Mine too."

Marle's face turned bright red with rage and blushes. "I'm ready to freeze you to the bone, Lucca!"

"Really? My dear, if you had the tenacity and courage to do so, you would have already."

Crono, still shocked and confused with all that was going on, instinctively reached his arm towards Marle's shoulder and his palm rested on her skin. Marle didn't know what to think about it, and Lucca didn't much approve and slapped his hand away, then twirled herself into him as she took a hold of it.

She rubbed Crono's left cheek and whispered into his ear, "Crono, why don't you just leave this voluptuous woman and come with me instead? Don't you find me more alluring?" Her warm and sweet breath immobilized him for a second before he could react again. Lucca knew that he was thinking about it, and she could even kiss him right then and there while Marle watched in horror. Now, _that_ was tempting! She didn't know what would be more exhilarating; the kiss or having Marle witness it. She even wondered if Crono thought the same. "I'm still in your arms, Crono. You want to make-out?" she asked while she moved her body up and down, touching his side. Before she could do anything else, Marle tackled her and held an ice spike to her throat as they hit the floor.

"Back off, Lucca."

"Why should I? I've loved him all my life, and I'm not going to give him up to someone like you." That sent Marle over the edge, and the tip of her weapon actually broke the first layer of Lucca's skin. As a small trace of blood trickled down her neck, Crono grabbed Marle from behind and forced her off of Lucca.

"Marle! What are you doing? You can't kill Lucca! What's with you, girl? You've... been acting very strange," Crono said as his eyes diverted away from her.  
"**I've** been acting strange? What about you? Are you willing to give up everything for _her?_" she pointed, with hate in her eyes.  
"I won't let you kill her, Marle. That's just plain crazy."  
"Yeah, well...at least she'd be out of here..." Marle said, shutting her eyes tight and clinging onto her husband's shoulders.

Lucca was actually surprised at what had just happened. She brought her hand up to her neck and could still feel the blood running down its skin. She was left speechless as she looked at the red substance on her palm, and then gave a triumphant smile.

"Oh I don't care, Crono. So what if she tries to kill me? Princess or not, she's still under the law. Let her try. I'd absolutely love to see the authorities take her away. And then it'd only be you and me."

"Yeah, you'd like that wouldn't you?" Marle snapped.  
"Oh I'd love it. You're making this fire hot, girl. Want to try that again?"  
"You're at fault too, Lucca," Crono said, "I don't appreciate what you are doing."  
"I don't either, Crono. Years of advances and now you only notice them after you're married," she winked.

"He shouldn't be noticing them at all!" Marle screamed, "You told me that you would never leave me again, Crono. That you would never put me through that pain a second time. Now I'm going to make sure that you actually stay true to your word. I'll force you to stay with me whether it be right or wrong or you like it or not. I don't care anymore. I can't see myself without you, and I can't survive if you ever left me again."

"Marle, that's- You can't control me, you know. That's not fair, I have a life too."  
"Not fair? **NOT FAIR? **I'll tell you what isn't fair, you stupid man! It's you always wanting to do what you want, even if it hurts me!"

"Marle, what on earth are you even talking about? I've always asked for your consent."  
"Liar! You visited that _witch_ against my own personal feelings, and I can name a few other times, too."  
"Marle, are you okay? You're turning a bit crazy here..."

"Like I even care! I want you, Crono! Need you! I can't love anybody but you!"

_Yeah, neither can I, Marle,_ Lucca thought to herself.

"Marle, you're acting overdramatic. It's okay."

"Is it, Crono? I really don't know anymore."

"Of course it's okay, Marle," Lucca said as she wrapped her arms around her, "You see, this little dream of yours never really happened. Did you really think a girl like you could actually compare to someone like me? You had to have known, and in your disgustingly idiotic mind, you knew that the only things keeping Crono bound to you were your wealth and your perfectly shaped body. That ring may still be on his finger, but his heart was given to me years ago. All you ever did was steal it out of my hands."

"Lucca!" Crono shouted, unable to explain the reasonings of his friend.

"Shut up, Crono!" Marle screamed as a child. "It's always, ''Lucca this, Lucca that,'' and I've had it! I didn't even want her here! I've changed since she's been here, and I'm so confused! I love Crono, but Crono also loves Lucca. How... how am I able to spend my nights with you if I know that another girl is dreaming about you? You're my everything, Crono! You saved me from the brink of non-existence, and I was there for you when we changed history to prevent your death. Doesn't that... doesn't that mean anything at all?"

"I was there too, Marle," Lucca said placing her hands on her hips. "During both those times, as well. Hey, if it wasn't for me, you'd probably still be dead. Don't act so selfish as to think you were the only one who stood by Crono's side."

"Lucca..." Crono said, stunned by her words.

"Lucca. Lucca. Lucca. Stop saying her name, Crono! Shut up! Just shut the hell up! I don't want to hear her name ever again! I don't want to see her ever again, or even think about her ever again!"

"Marle!" Crono said astonished.

"What? This girl has her demons too, Crono. I don't care what's going on in my mind, or what I'm even becoming! That woman is at fault for all of it. So what if you say I'm losing my mind? If I'm going ''crazy?'' I'll have you forever, Crono! Even if I have to freeze you in place."

"Marle! You can't do that! Snap out of it! We can work this situation out! You're still my wife, I love you!"  
"No, you don't. You can't."  
"What did you just say?"

"You can't love me if in your mind you know that another girl loves you and thinks about you every day. That her dreams and thoughts are about you every second of every minute of every hour of every day. It's impossible to love someone else when a girl like that is constantly on your mind."

"No! She's not!"  
"Oh, but she is, Crono. There is no way she can't be. I hate her, Crono. And... and since she's known you for longer than I ever could, I'm beginning to hate you for it as well."

"Marle! Stop it! You're not making any sense!" Crono's plea came through his tear-soaked lips. Marle ignored it, maybe never even heard it. Her mind was traveling in so many directions, it was hard for her to determine which way she should go. Love. Hate. Confusion and sorrow. These were the emotions building up inside of her and they all collided into each other, leaving a huge ball of mess. She was becoming desperate, and the only way to keep Crono as she now thought, was to either silence Lucca or keep him trapped forever. It was such an extreme thought, one she had never experienced before.

What did it mean? Was a gentle girl like her really capable of doing such horrendous acts? Well, if her perfect husband was able to come close to what she considered treason, she could be a little wild as well. She didn't care if her mind warped as long as Crono could still be forever etched inside of it. This change even felt sudden for her, but without her realizing it, it had gradually progressed up to this very chaotic point. Since she first laid eyes on Lucca, a growing jealousy had already taken place. The more she learned about Crono and about her, the greater and greater her jealousy became. She was able to fight it off for a long while, and still be very friendly towards Lucca, but it had now reached its climax, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Three years of jealousy, hate, worry, love, and uncertainty helped her climbed to this very peak of insanity, and she'd climb even farther if only to hold Crono in her arms forever more.

"I don't have to make any sense, Crono. Love never has. Even I know that much. I just want to stay with you until the end of time, but I can't if she's there standing next to you."  
"Standing? Oh my dear, dear Marle. Believe me, I'll be doing a lot more than just standing," Lucca said with a flirty smile and a wink, followed by throwing herself onto the one she loved.  
"Crono! Get off her!" Marle commanded.  
"But I... She just..." he said, with his arms far apart, not touching Lucca.

"I see..." Marle said with a heavy voice. "Crono, that's it. If you touch her, look at her in the eye, even call her by name one more time, I'll have you out of this castle."  
"Marle! You can't do that! She's my best friend!"  
"**I** should be your best friend! Since when has she shared the same things we have?"

"I've come close, Marle. Don't lie to yourself either, girl. I know he wanted it. You see the way he looks at me? It's like I'm a lost treasure he recently found again. Where's the glimmer in his eyes when he's looking at you?"

"It's there..."

"Yeah, of course it is. But not _all_ of the time now is it?"

That shocked Marle. From as far back as she could remember after meeting Crono, he had always held a special gaze in his eyes for Lucca. What she was saying had to be untrue, but it all felt so real. "Crono, please. Forget about her, I've never had all that time to get to know you like she has, and it's not fair! How can I compete against a love of 21 years? It's...impossible..."

"Marle, I can't forget about her. She has always been a part of my life, and I hope she always will be. Just like you, okay?"

"No! It's NOT just like me! I want you all to myself, you idiot! I don't want Daddy telling you what to do, that office to lock you away, that horrid girl over there touching you, I don't want any of that! You said you'd never leave me! NEVER leave me! You're such a liar, Crono. Always leaving me all alone whenever you're gone. And now that she's here- I hate it! I hate all of it! You're mine, you hear?"

Marle was losing herself in chaos and torment quickly, and the little part of the gentle girl that was left was now crying, but nothing more. "I'm not pathetic, Crono! I'm not an idiot! I'm not a girl who can't offer you anything! Crono... I gave you all that I had. Outside of my life, inside of my life, and even inside of me. What else could I give you? What-else-could-I-"

"I'll tell you what you can't offer him, Marle. It's me," Lucca said with glee. "He doesn't need you or this castle. Why do you think he always wanted to get out of it and visit me? It was because that when we were alone, his mind would reminiscence about us and about what we could have been. What we _would_ have been if he had never bumped into you. You took everything I ever wanted away from me, Marle. And now I'm taking it back from you."

"I love her, Lucca! I always have!"

"Always? _Always?_ What does 'always' mean? Do you mean that you've always loved her your entire life, or only for the 3 years you've known her? Tell me something, baby. Somewhere deep inside that thick head of yours, you've always known that you loved me. In some form, no matter how small the level of intimacy. You're always dodging the issue and hiding your feelings about me. Get your head together Crono. You should have known this a long time ago."

Lucca was still hugging him while his arms were still far away from her waist. Even with Marle in the same room looking at him, he was tempted to hold Lucca in full embrace. He gave a very quick smile after picturing what would happen when he would touch her. Both Marle and Lucca caught his brief smile and while Lucca smirked, Marle clenched her fist.

Before he could think of it for another second, Marle pushed Lucca out of the way and immediately kissed Crono, forcing him to remember how good she really was. He wrapped his arms around her extremely tight, and Marle made a groan. It was good, it was more than good, but Crono could also feel her hatred and animosity behind it. It felt more like a kiss taken in revenge, and not one of pure passion. Marle made many small consecutive kisses after the initial, and she thought that if she could keep this up, Crono would forget about everything. At this point, they were definitely made in spite, and taken on purpose in front of Lucca just to make her jealous.

Lucca's temper erupted and she wanted to incinerate that girl that very instant, but she couldn't. She knew that she'd face execution if she was the one who killed the princess. She didn't like seeing her do that to Crono, and didn't like the fact that Crono let it happen. To her relief and surprise however, Crono finally stopped Marle and held sadness in his eyes.

"Marle, I couldn't feel any love in any of those. Just stop acting this way before you give yourself mental damage. I really don't want you to be doing this."

Marle couldn't understand his words at this point. She had basically lost herself, and her heart couldn't take it any longer. "You don't want me to kiss you?"

"No. Not if I can't feel my wife behind them. You're not you anymore, Marle. I don't know how else to say it; you're really scaring me."

"Scaring you? Not myself?" her voice ended there, almost as if she was going to continue speaking and then just automatically stopped. Lucca gave a chuckle, and crossed her arms as she enjoyed the new show.

"You're laughing at me again, aren't you?" Marle scolded, turning her gaze to Lucca. "You want to make me cry again?"  
"Yeah. Not my fault you're such a weak little spoiled girl who takes anything she wants. Even if it doesn't belong to her."

"I hate you, Lucca."

"Ooh. Big revelation, there. I really don't care."

Everything that Marle pushed back during the time she had known Lucca finally came back, and her icy clutch locked onto Lucca's throat yet once again. Lucca was immobilized, and the cold temperature was so chilling, she couldn't find the heat to strike up a flame. In Marle's other hand was a fast moving sphere of magic; so cold that it was even beginning to turn her own fingers blue.

"I can kill you, Lucca. I can get away with it. All I'd have to do is lie and I'll be off the hook. I don't care if Crono knows, I'll make it that he'd never tell."  
"Y-You-rre cr-aa-zz-y!" Lucca choked, trying to find her words.  
"Love is never crazy, got it? I can act any way I want in order to take him back."  
"Too...far..." Lucca said, knowing that even she wouldn't be doing this.

As her arm began to crash down onto Lucca's face, Crono grasped it from behind and halted the attack even though he could feel his warmth being sucked away. Shocked from the prevention, Marle let go of Lucca's throat, and attached herself onto his. The magic ice was still in her hand, and her eyes were still filled with tears.

"M-Marle..." Crono tried to say. The mention of her name coming from Crono's lips made her head jolt backwards and her eyes blink. Her clutch loosened, and Crono fell to the floor, gaping for air. Lucca ran towards him and hugged him close into her. Marle's hands and arms trembled after she realized what she had just done, and her magic faded. She tried walking to him but stopped once she saw that he was still holding his neck coughing, and Lucca sheltering him into herself and almost a literal fire in her eyes when she saw who was looking at them.

"I...I..." Marle tried to speak, but couldn't find any words to say to express her apology. Once Crono was able to talk again, he held onto Lucca for support as he stood back up. "Marle, you've tried attacking both of us! Almost killed both of us! I wanted to spend my life with you! I had loved Lucca once before, this is true, but I still wanted to be with you! There is no way that I can now, however," he started to cry.

"Lucca has always been there for me, even when I never noticed it. She's the only girl I've ever known who never stopped thinking about me. I was her life, Marle. And it seems that I made a mistake in marrying you because of the way you've been acting. I should have noticed it before now, actually. Ever since I rejoined you guys, you were always inches away from me; acting like you owned me. I wanted to stay with you Marle, but you've gone too far now. Lucca would have been the better choice looking back on it, as she understands everything there is to know about me. I tried expressing myself to you, but you stopped listening. Marle, I... I can't be with you anymore..."

Marle backed away slowly with her hands over top her heart and then crashed to her knees on the floor. She wanted to say so many words, but her mouth could not voice them. She was so stunned, that she wasn't even crying because she couldn't even understand it.

"I told you, Marle," Lucca said in a harsh tone, "you are not deserving of him."

"Marle, I have to release you from this marriage. You're, well... You're not that same girl that I truly fell in love with 3 years ago." Crono took off his wedding ring placed it on Marle's lap as she was still sitting on the floor in a muted shock.

"R-Release me?" she spoke up, "**You** release **me!** No, Crono! That's not how it goes! I, I- _I don't know what to do._"

"Yes, Marle. I wish it were not so, but I have no other choice," he turned to Lucca and felt around her neck. "You okay?"

"Yes, that feels heavenly, Crono. Please don't stop rubbing me there." Crono sighed and wrapped his arm around her as they made their way to the door. He was still worried about her, as she had already been in combat with Marle before he even arrived.

"Crono!" Marle shouted, "If you walk out of that door, I will hate you forever and will never want to speak with you ever again. You'll lose everything! Me, my kingdom, my dreams!"

"Your dreams? Why are you always so selfish? My dream was to also stay with you, but the way you are now, there is no way that is even possible. Lucca is the only girl I can depend on, and I wish I could say the same about you."

Crono took one more step to the door, and he heard Marle wail in misery. All that he was wanted to let go of Lucca's hand and run back to his Marle, but she wasn't his anymore; and she wasn't even herself. He didn't know where he would go or what he would do a few inches out of that door, but as long as Lucca was near him, he would be alright. He felt guilty, and almost like a player of women however. Marle was definitely his love, but Lucca had been as well even though he was too young to understand it, or too afraid to know it. As their marriage progressed, it became more and more obvious that he should have gone with Lucca instead, as Marle found it hard to understand much of him. Perhaps that was also another reason that led him to this decision.

"Lucca," he whispered, "Let's get out of here before I have a nervous breakdown. I just lost my wife, and even though I knew that I should have been with you all this time, it still hurts." She didn't say anything and just nodded her head in agreement. Marle, whose tears crystallized due to her magic, screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Crono! I'm sorry! Stay with me, please! Don't leave me again!" And after she had said that, she voiced something else as if another part of her spoke the words. "I never want to see you again, Crono. If I can't have what I want, then I don't even want to see it."

Crono shed some tears at her words as he looked in front of him to the open hallway. "Crono, are you okay?" Lucca asked feeling very concerned.

"Yes. No. I'm not even sure. Let's just get out of here. I don't want to leave her, but she's too dangerous for us to stick around. And besides..." he held her chin upright and smiled.  
"Yes, Crono?"  
"I can't believe it took me this long to realize who my true love really was."  
"Crono, do you mean..."  
"Yes, Lucca. You. Now, please... before I change my mind, half of me really wanted to stay with her. Let's move."

Marle weeped as she saw Lucca clutch the arms of her beloved husband as they walked out the door. Her tears blurred her vision and her pain was indescribable. She tried to stop him, but she couldn't move. For some reason, she couldn't find the strength to stand. Memories and voices all swirled around inside her head, and even though the cacophony made her head spin, she could hear some distinct voices and for the first time in what seemed so very long, she actually understood Crono.

Yeah, he loved her, but as she looked back on it, she had stolen him from Lucca. It was horrible and cruel what she did, and so very cold. She was seeing that now, even though part of her still wanted to refuse it. Once those two were out of her sight, she curled up into a ball.

"Crono, I'm so very lonely without you, but I know that I shouldn't have had you. Somebody, please... What am I going to do?" She closed her eyes and drifted into a sleep to forget everything; even her love of Crono.

* * *

Lucca opened her eyes and noticed the man who lay beside her. She ran her hand up and down his naked chest and sighed. Their act of love last night was so intense that it almost made her pass out from exhaustion, but it was so wonderful. And she still felt wonderful; this is what it was like to truly be in love. It took Crono all his life, but he finally realized who actually needed him, and who he needed as well. She rolled into him and hugged him until he decided to wake up. Her short-haired head rested on his shoulder and her arms swung around his stomach. Even without what they did the night before, this was all she needed. She was happy enough just touching him, and she would get to see him every day for the rest of her life now.

Crono's eyes moved and he awoke to see Lucca staring at him, mesmerized by all that he was. "Good morning, Lucca," he said as his hand brushed her cheek.

"Good morning, Crono. I love you," she said as her hand brushed his own.


End file.
